


Aura

by Anonymous



Series: cynosure [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Friendship/Love, Had this idea in a dream, Kekkei Genkai | Bloodline Limit, Naruto deserves love, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, Pre-Relationship, Sasuke stays in Konoha, Smart Uzumaki Naruto, Swearing, after Land of Waves arc, nothing serious they are still kids, that i made up, through to the end of part 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:49:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 55,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24313813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: On the way home from the Land of Waves, Naruto is suddenly pulled toward a small village and to a gravely injured girl. His discovery sets off a chain of events that teach him what it means to have friends, a makeshift family, and that caring about someone isn't a bad thing.Uzumaki Naruto/Original Female Character
Relationships: Uzumaki Naruto/Original Female Character(s)
Series: cynosure [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1771645
Comments: 4
Kudos: 34
Collections: Hide these plz





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I started this story years ago. Literal years. I recently found it floating on my hard drive and decided to have a go at finishing it, now that I've seen the series the whole way through. Think of this as a "how Stacy imagines the story if people actually gave a flying fuck about what happened to Naruto instead of everyone just assuming he's too stupid to understand anything." 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The village of Minori, a small hidden village in the Land of Fire, housed only two hundred people. The word Minori means 'village of beautiful fields’' and the village was given the name because of the beautiful flower fields that covered the land. Although it was small, Minori managed to house a small warehouse and several promising food stands. The businesses there were thriving, most of them home-businesses owned by the most prominent families. Leading the village was not a 'kage' by any means, but simply the eldest and most prominent clan, the Arai clan. At the young age of thirty, a man by the name of Jin took over for his father. Shortly after taking the title, his father passed away. His family, which consisted of a wife and daughter, were supportive, but could only do so much. He was barely 'Village Leader' for a year when disaster struck the tiny town, shoving the villagers into utter chaos and devastation.

The event that would later be known as "The Massacre of Minori" started because of one traveler. This one solitary man hid his face behind the hood of a cloak and called himself Daitan. It was he alone who destroyed a peaceful village that never did any harm to anyone. A village that stayed by itself, never mingling in other villages affairs, unless asked by one of the five Kage's to help out. The man who kept his face hidden strolled in there pretending to have been traveling for weeks with no rest. The Leader's daughter, Ayame detested the man with a passion unlike any the village had ever seen. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. She wanted him out of the village. And, even as disaster rained down around her, she could only think: _ If only they had listened to me _ .

The Massacre of Minori. Four words that will forever strike as much grief and fear in people's hearts as the night the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon devastated Konoha. The devastation and massacre had started only weeks after Daitan arrived, after the night Ayame found a strange mark on her friend's neck; three commas in a circle. Soon after she began seeing the mark on more and more villagers, until she finally saw the mark on someone closer to her. She found the mark on her mother. Shiori, the wife of the Leader, defended the mark by saying she must have gotten bit by a bug. Then she told her young daughter she had always had the mark, that it was a birthmark. Both stories were known to be lies. Soon after that she saw her own father had the mark. It seemed that moment was when the village began to deteriorate.

Slowly, one by one then two by two, the villagers started to disappear. First it started with the poorer families, and then moved up in wealth. By the time two months ended nearly half of the village's population had disappeared, all of them bearing a mark Ayame had begun to believe were cursed. She confronted her father, her bright green eyes shining with worry and concern for the village she adored. He only brushed off her concern, not believing a word of it.

_ "No one is missing." _ He told her.  _ "They're on missions." _ He'd lie.  _ "They are helping neighboring villages." _

All of this she knew to be false, especially when some of them were merely children or people with no ninja abilities at all. She tried to confront Daitan on her own, believing that her abilities would at least allow her to wound him, maybe even drive him out of her home, her village. She was wrong. She didn't fix anything or drive anything out of the village. Instead, she made it worse, much worse.

It was raining in the village, a light drizzle coating the buildings and the ground. He'd warned her. He'd told her if she stood in his way he would kill her and everyone who ever meant anything to her. She refused to let up, confessing her undying love for the village. That's when he started with her best friend. He called out, bringing a young girl with bright blue hair (a recent jutsu gone wrong) out of the darkness. She stood there, dazed and unmoving, in front of the horribly scarred man. Daitan brought a kunai out of his holster and gripped it tightly. Ayame went to move, trying desperately to save her best friend. She got one warning, which she didn't heed. Stay put or she dies right now. She didn't listen, she brought her hands in front of her forming hand signs, trying anything at all, but she wasn't quick enough. Her frightened daze made her moves slower than normal. The kunai slid across the young girl's throat, the warm crimson blood flowing over Daitan's hand. Ayame gasped, choking on her own saliva. The jutsu she was forming was incomplete and did more harm than good. Instead of creating a force field that should have knocked Daitan out cold, knocked her backwards into one of the beams holding up the warehouse roof. She hit it with such force she nearly broke it in half, but it busted just enough to begin the chain of events she desperately tried to avoid.

The beam she hit began to crack the rest of the way, the roof above her buckling in. Daitan yelled in surprise before teleporting himself outside. Ayame was shaking the daze of unconsciousness as she tried to stand up. Taking her weight off the beam proved to be a bad idea as it forced the buckling to worsen. As the first support of the roof caved in, she looked up. She had barely enough time to react as her eyes turned pure white; a glow of blue surrounded her retinas. The faintly blue force field surrounded her, repelling any debris that fell. Undamaged from the building collapsing, she got to her shaking feet and walked out of the debris, following Daitan's now familiar aura.

She saw him talking to something or someone, but no one was around. Taking this as her opportunity, she held her shaking arms in front of her and began to form hand signals again. She was trying to focus on the signs, not her best friend lying dead under a pile of rubble, not the fact that she couldn't find her mother or her father. Just the hand signs and breathing. Yeah, breathing was important. She held her hand out in a gripping motion. She aimed for the man's windpipe, wrapping chakra-fueled air around it, sucking the oxygen from his lungs. Daitan started to gasp and gag, fighting for air that Ayame wouldn't allow him to have. He turned around, following the chakra back to its owner. His eyes were huge, his fight for oxygen reaching no favorable conclusion. Forcing a last-ditch effort, he held his hands in front of him pooling all of his chakra. He still had the kunai from before in his hand, to which he used the sharp edge to cut his finger. Doing a quick summoning, he proved to have his master's power. A huge black snake, at least fifty feet tall, two hundred feet long, appeared. Instantly Ayame lost control of her jutsu, her hands dropping limply at her sides, her face contorted in shock.

The rain that had been drizzling down all day slowed to a stop and a gray mist covered the ground. Ayame's bright red hair blew in the breeze, slightly damp with the rain. Her green eyes shimmered in fear, her mind at a loss of what to do. Never, in all of her specialized ninja training, had she ever been taught to fight a giant snake. And, never had she ever wanted to learn more than now. The sound of screaming villagers could be heard for miles as the snake slithered toward her. She couldn't move, frozen in complete fear…horrification. The snake was nearly on top of her now, eyeing her with golden glowing eyes, licking its mouth as if tasting the air for her blood. Her eyes already wide with fear widened further as the snake's head descended down, mouth wide open. She opened her mouth to scream, but the wind was knocked out of her by someone pushing her small frame.

She looked over to see her mother and father standing where she previously was, their family's signature move – a thick wall of chakra-fueled wind strong enough for most enemies to be stopped in their tracks known as the Demon Wind Wall – stood huge and bright in the gray haze. The snake was trying to bite them, only drawing a surge of chakra each time. Her parents looked as if they were having trouble controlling it, however. The snake was too big; it was taking all of their chakra to fight him off. Ayame ran forward, attempting to help by throwing her own chakra-fueled wind into the wall. Instead, her mother let go and grabbed her by the shirt, throwing the young girl behind her. Shiori turned around, her husband not able to control the huge wall any longer and attempted to help, but was too late. The snake broke through and grabbed her father in his mouth. Ayame let out a startled scream and scrambled to her feet, falling several times. Shiori let out an ear-piercing scream and pulled a large sword from her back, swinging wildly at the belly of the huge snake. Faintly, through the screaming and cursing, Ayame could hear Daitan laughing.

The snake, promptly after swallowing Jin whole, attempted to pick up Shiori too; instead it received a sword through its tongue, slicing it neatly in half. The snake let out a high-pitched wail, flailing its massive head around madly. Ayame stumbled backward, the severed chunk of snake tongue nearly landing on top of her. Shiori's long black hair billowed in the wind as she coated the large katana in her hand with chakra, all she had left. She swung at the belly of the beast, nearly slicing it clear through. The snake left out another wail before falling down to the ground. Shiori couldn't move in time, the snake's upper half crushing her, killing her instantly. Through all this, Ayame couldn't move. In her mind, she had caused it all. She set the dominoes tumbling into an infinite abyss of darkness and death. Taking a calculated look around, she saw numerous buildings destroyed, some on fire. Dead and severed villagers lay strewn in various places, some filleted and gutted in grotesque positions. She realized then that Daitan was not laughing at what his giant summon had been doing, but he was relishing in his summoning of several smaller, yet still huge on their own, black snakes. The snakes, sporting larger than normal fangs, were slowly creeping toward her now. They would turn their heads from the massive dead snake and her frightened face, as if blaming her for the death of their father.

The girl tried to scream, but no sound came out. She was beyond frightened. Daitan saw this and laughed again, an evil and malicious laugh that ripped through her like a hot knife through butter. It made her shiver, her body wet and cold from the rain and from cold sweat. Tears ran down her face in long trails, smudging the dirt and grime already present. Her green eyes shimmering with the tears turned to Daitan as he began to speak, but she couldn't make out his words. Her world had been devastated, the town she loved so dearly destroyed. She felt she had nothing left. Ayame bowed her head, openly admitting defeat.

When she raised her head, risking a glance into his now uncovered face, she saw his entire left side was scared and bruised, as if something was clawing its way out. The eye facing her looked misplaced on the softer features of the man on the right side. He smiled at her, his left side barely turning up as if unable to move. She struggled to find the words she needed to ask, but couldn't form them.

"You want to know why, right? That's what you are trying to ask?" He waited for her to nod in agreement before continuing. "I need your eyes. Those special eyes your grandfather never shut up about. I knew he'd never get it with your grandfather here, so I killed him. And now with your parents gone, you're all alone and vulnerable. The perfect prey." She cried, the tears dropping to her feet mixing with the rain already there. 

Ayame's eyes turned white with a faint blue tint. They were out of her control, now, and acting on their own accord. They did this every time she got out of control. Daitan smirked, seeing the power in her eyes again. He attempted to send the hordes of snakes he'd previously summoned after her, but Ayame had other plans. She formed hand signs quicker than she'd ever done before, summoning forth a huge chakra-fueled dome. The protection surrounding her fended off the snakes as she felt out for any source of chakra still available. She found it in her newly dead mother and father. Holding her hands out toward them, the flow of chakra left their bodies and entered hers, fusing with her own low chakra supply. She turned back to Daitan, who was still sending more and more snakes her way.

"You will regret this, Daitan!" Ayame growled, stretching her arms out to her sides, making a chakra-fueled dome that pulsed with chakra.

The girl let forth a shockwave, sending Daitan and his hordes of snakes flying backwards. They landed with sickening thuds, assuring Ayame she must have defeated them. Fatigue washed over her, the limit of her power showing its side effect, forcing Ayame to hit her knees. She was shaking, watching Daitan for any signs of life. Finally, Daitan's body started to stir and rose to his shaking feet.

"Almost, but not quite." He hissed out, teleporting before the sentence was over.

The snakes that were left behind hissed, but ignored her, favoring the already dead victims covering the ground. Unsure of what to do, Ayame used her remaining strength to leave the destroyed village. She hoped for help. She hoped the villages her father had painstakingly formed alliances with would help her. She hoped for a miracle.

Ayame walked for miles, it seemed, before her body finally gave out from pure exhaustion. Her chakra was low, as was her stamina. She was sure that she looked horrible, but at that moment she didn't care. Her parents were dead, and her village was destroyed. There was nothing left.

As her vision swam black, she fell to the ground, her body spent. 


	2. Chapter 2

Kakashi was tired. Mentally and emotionally tired. It’s been five days since the battle on the bridge and Team 7 was almost home. Finally. Kakashi was looking forward to a hot bath, some hot food, and some alone time with his favorite book. Sasuke and Naruto had other ideas, however. 

“Hey Sasuke! It’s your turn to set up the bed rolls.” Naruto, all loud voice and loud personality, pointed expectantly at his teammate. 

Sasuke, looking bored, just sighed. “It’s barely noon, we will be home before dark, moron.”

There was a pause in which one could practically hear Naruto going over the itinerary in his head. “Oooh…”

Hiding his head, Sasuke smirked. “Idiot.” 

Before Naruto could form a comeback, he felt a jolt go through him. Something was pulling behind his navel, an unseen force guiding him...somewhere. As if in a trance, Naruto began walking away from the team. 

“Honestly, Naruto, Sasuke wasn’t that mean to you.” Sakura chided, but didn’t receive an answer. Sasuke looked on, clearly confused. 

Kakashi drew down his eyes, sensing something was wrong. “Oi, Naruto!” He yelled. No response. 

The pull behind Naruto’s navel led him toward a patch of flowers. Beautiful lilies, tulips, hyacinth and iris’ were in full bloom, the smell just shy of being overwhelming. He stopped on the edge of the meadow, where a butterfly was dipping down into a tulip. The pull lessened a little as he stood there, looking intently for what would possibly lead him there. Amidst the rainbow of colors, Naruto saw something that didn’t belong. In the center of the meadow, some of the leaves were stained red, thick splatters of blood red clinging to the delicate plants. A couple steps into the meadow was all it took for Naruto to find the source of the red. A girl, roughly his age, lying in the flowers. 

Vaguely, he could hear his team gather behind him. Sakura was the first to run up, kneeling beside the girl. 

“Her pulse is weak. She needs a hospital.”

Kakashi nodded, running over and lifting the girl up. “I’ll take her to the village. You three, find whatever you can that could tell us what happened.” He glanced down to see blood and mud matted in her hair and on her face. There were cuts and bruises lining the skin he could see through the rips in her clothes. Whatever had happened, this girl looked like she had been through hell. 

After Kakashi left, Sakura rounded on Naruto. “What was that? You just started walking away from us, you wouldn’t answer!”

Said kid just shrugged. “It’s...hard to explain. I felt something. Something was pulling me toward here.”

“Something pulled you here?” Sasuke looked pensive. His keen eyes looked over the area, seeing a clear trail of blood on the flowers leading them towards the other end of the meadow. “Let’s follow the trail.”

They came across what used to be a small village. The surrounding wall was destroyed, sections laying on their sides, some reduced to piles of rubble. The entry gate was hanging crooked on the hinges, which took Naruto and Sasuke both to pull it open. When they did, the carnage threatened to overwhelm them. Bodies strewn everywhere, eyes open and lifeless. Buildings laying in heaps of materials, barely recognizable. 

Naruto began walking toward a large sign laying on its front. With a heave, he lifted it enough to flip over. In bright, bold letters the sign read: “Welcome to Minori, the Village of Beautiful Flowers”.

“Minori?” Naruto asked. “I’ve never heard of it before.”

Sakura, who was staring intently at the sign, shrugged. “Me either. Sasuke?”

Staring at a woman on the ground, Sasuke was deep in thought. The woman had long, dark hair, her face distorted in pain and terror. It sent his mind reeling back to seeing his mother lying at Itachi’s feet, dead. 

“Sasuke!” Naruto put force behind his words, making Sasuke startle. “Are you okay?”

Shaking the vision from his mind, Sasuke tried to look nonchalant. “Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s go. The Hokage will know what to do.”

\--

Kakashi didn’t stop at the gates to the village, just ran straight through to the hospital. Once inside, the place was a flurry of energy. Medical ninja ran here and there, trying to stabilize the poor girl. Medical terms being thrown out faster than Kakashi could keep up with. 

_ Blood transfusion. IV. Surgery. Heart stopped. CPR. Heartbeat. _

After standing for what seemed like hours, a medical ninja approached him. “She’s stable, but just so. Prognosis is guarded. I wouldn’t expect her to wake up until tomorrow at the earliest. And even that would be pushing it.” 

The man handed over a report, and Kakashi left. The girl was alive. That was something at least. Taking to the roof, Kakashi ran his way to the Hokage office. This was going to be a long story. 

The Hokage, a shorter old man with deep age lines cutting into his face, sat at his desk. The hat of the Hokage balanced on the edge as he poured over scrolls. When, upon glancing up, he saw Kakashi, the man smiled. 

“Kakashi, back from your mission already?”

“Yes, sir. But there’s been a...complication.” The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, narrowed his eyes as Kakashi continued to speak. “We found a young girl severely injured. She was close to Minori, laying in a flower field. I sent the kids to check it out and brought the girl here. She’s critical, but alive.”

Sarutobi skimmed the report in Kakashi’s hand quickly. “It took a lot to keep her alive. No name?”

“She wasn’t awake when we found her.” 

Sarutobi nodded. “Let me talk to the kids as soon as they come in.” 

\--

The three were somber as they made their way back to Konoha, none saying a word. The carnage they saw in that small village would last them a lifetime. With the exception of the name of the village, the group had no other information, or an explanation of why it would have happened. 

Kakashi was waiting for them at the gate, mainly to usher them to the Hokage tower. Again, the three said nothing as their teacher led them forward. 

The Third was skimming over the medical report again as they entered. “Come, tell me what happened.”

“It’s terrible.” Naruto was quiet, his voice subdued. It was such a difference to how he usually acted that everyone in the room turned to look at him. “Everyone is dead. The village is destroyed.”

“Minori is destroyed?” Sarutobi stood up and looked out the window. “And the girl? We’re presuming she’s the only survivor, then.” 

Sakura’s head shot up. “She’s alive?”

“Barely.” Shaking his head, The Third pulled out a fresh scroll and quill. “I’ll need to send ninja there. We need a full investigation. Minori was one of our sister villages. We had sworn to protect them.” 

He was rambling, but Kakashi understood why. Minori held something very rare, something that needed protected. 

“The Arai line could be in danger.” Kakashi spoke. 

Sasuke turned around to look at Kakashi. “The Arai line?”

The Third Hokage took his seat again. “I think, since you are so close to this, you deserve to know the truth.” He paused to find the right words. “The village of Minori is unknown and very hidden for a reason. It has been hidden behind barrier jutsu for years now. The reason we have been protecting it is because Minori is not a shinobi village, but harbors something that needs shinobi protection. The Chikaragan.” 

“The Chika-what?” Naruto asked, visibly confused. 

“A very rare kekkei genkai. Only five people have ever had it in shinobi history.”

Sakura was curious. “What does it do?”

“There are plenty of rumors.” Kakashi spoke. “The powers vary with each incarnation.” 

The Third Hokage nodded. “Right now...we wait for the young girl to wake up. Hopefully she can tell us more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chikara means power in Japanese, according to Google Translate.


	3. Chapter 3

It took Ayame three days, a blood transfusion and two bouts of CPR to finally wake up. Weak and in pain, the young girl sat up, looking at her unfamiliar surroundings. “Where am I?”

“Oh.” Sakura, who had just stepped through the door to check on Ayame, paused. “You’re awake! Oh, the medical team will want to know.” Sakura turned on her heels, her pink hair fanning behind her. 

It didn’t take long before a flurry of activity happened in Ayame’s room. Vital signs taken, a million questions asked, and a physical examination done by three separate medical ninja. Finally, the activity slowed down as they finally brought her something to eat. Sakura, who had been staying out of the way, was finally able to come forward. She knew it wouldn’t take long for The Third Hokage to find out the young girl was awake and the activity would pick up again. 

“Um,” Sakura started as Ayame picked at her food. Although not as badly caked in mud and blood, she still needed a bath and a change of clothes. Sakura thought she could see red hair poking through the grime. “My name is Sakura. I’m one of the people who found you. We brought you back to Konoha.” 

“Ayame Arai.” Ayame’s voice was so low it was a whisper. Her throat felt like sandpaper. 

“Arai?” Sakura repeated. 

“My village.” Ayame was afraid to hear the answer to her question. “What happened to my village?”

Sakura dropped her head. “Ayame, I-”

Before she could finish her sentence, The Third Hokage entered the room. His easy smile attempted to put the girl to ease. Her mind was racing too fast for it to work. As Sarutobi came further into the room, Ayame could see there were three other people behind him. 

“Hello, my dear.” Sarutobi stood at her bedside. “How are you feeling?”

Ayame, upon realizing who was standing beside her, attempted to sit up straight. “Lord Hokage.” She pulled at her stitches, causing a grimace. 

“No need for the pleasantries, just talk to me as if I’m no one.” Sarutobi gave another reassuring smile. “Unfortunately, we need to hear what happened to you, and how it is we found you nearly dead, my dear.”

“Lord Hokage, before I tell you everything...will you please tell me, is my village…” Ayame’s eyes shined with unshed tears. Sarutobi simply shook his head, making the welled up tears come streaming down her face. “A man named Daitan. He came into our village. He said it was to buy the old warehouse. But he didn’t...feel right, I guess.” She paused, to gauge the Third’s reaction. Not many knew of what the Chikaragan could do, or anything beyond what the legends claim. “He would put these marks on the people of the village, and then they would slowly go missing.”

“Marks?” Kakashi asked. “What kind of marks?”

“Like, three commas in a circle?” Ayame was trying to draw it out with her hands. “They would just appear in different places on people, and then they would act weird until they finally went missing.”

“Like a curse seal…” Kakashi mused in the background. 

The Third looked concerned. “Describe how they acted.”

Ayame paused to find the right words. “Like there was someone talking to them, in their head.” She got a faraway look in her eyes. “They were like zombies, just mindlessly walking around, talking to themselves. Kari, my friend, just stopped talking at all. She began walking one day toward the warehouse, but I couldn’t stop her. It was like a force was pulling her there.” 

Sarutobi gave the girl a soft smile. “Keep going if you can.” 

She took a deep breath to calm her emotions. “I thought that maybe if I tried. I wanted to scare him out of the village, but I made it worse. He...He killed everyone. He summoned this giant snake and mom and dad tried to protect me, but I wanted to help. My powers were useless.” She was rambling, she knew it, but once the words started they wouldn’t stop. “They died. Everyone died.”

“Breathe, dear.” Sarutobi put a hand on her shoulder, cutting her rambling short. “You are safe, now. I’ve sent people to investigate.” 

“How did I get here?”

Sakura, who had been quiet the entire time, stepped forward. “Kakashi-sensei brought you here”

“What matters now is that you’re safe.” Sarutobi said. “And this village will keep it that way.” 

Ayame shook her head. “No, sir. As long as I’m here the village is in danger. The Chikaragan…”

“Hush, child. We are a shinobi village. No one could protect you better.” And with those words, the Third Hokage left the room. 

It was silent in there, Kakashi and Sakura not sure what to say or do. Ayame broke the silence with her hoarse voice. 

“Thank you for saving me.”

“Of course!” Sakura smiled. “I’m just happy that Naruto found you when he did.” Then, with a questioning look at Kakashi, she added, “where is he, anyway?”

“He and Sasuke offered to go with the team back to Minori.” Kakashi gauged Ayame’s reaction. She just hung her head, a dark look on her face. 

\--

Naruto pushed a piece of paneling off the body of a woman. When Sasuke asked if they could join the investigation team, Naruto didn’t think they would be allowed to go. Now that he’s here, finding dead bodies, he almost wished Sasuke never asked. Speaking of his dark haired teammate, Naruto turned around to see Sasuke pulling a piece of stair off a deceased older man. 

“Sasuke.” Naruto asked quietly. “Have they found anything for the investigation?”

Sasuke shook his head. “Nothing concrete. But the biggest pieces are in the warehouse, I guess.” 

The goal of the team Sasuke and Naruto were placed on was to find the bodies and pull them into the open. The medical team would collect and record them. As Naruto looked around at the carts full with bodies lying side to side, he sighed. 

“They won’t make her identify them, will they?”

Sasuke turned around at that, following Naruto’s line of sight. When the Uchiha massacre happened, Sasuke was too young to be allowed near the dead. But shinobi mature before their time. At twelve, Sasuke wasn’t so sure if they would expect the girl to overcome her grief to give the dead a name. 

Naruto was looking at him expectantly, and Sasuke gave him an honest answer. “I hope not.” 

It was a few hours later, when the two boys were covered in dirt, grime, and blood, that the team began to head home. When the team, carts in tow, reached the front gates, there were more medical ninja waiting to take the carts. 

“Head home, kids.” One medical ninja said. “Thank you two, you both did great.” 

As the adults headed off, Naruto turned to Sasuke, who was wiping a clump of dirt off his shorts. “Wanna see if she’s awake?”

“Yeah.” 

Sasuke turned to begin walking in the hospital's direction, and Naruto smiled. They had really been getting along since the Land of Waves mission. It was almost as if a tide had turned, and something clicked between them. They understood each other better now. It was nice walking beside Sasuke, no bickering or name calling. Just two teammates, maybe even friends, walking side by side. 

\--

Sakura was sitting quietly beside Ayame, giving her space to work out what happened in her head. 

“You don’t have to sit here, Sakura.” Ayame finally spoke. The water they gave her finally cleared the hoarseness from her throat. “I’ll be fine.” 

Before Sakura could answer, the door opened. Naruto and Sasuke came in, looking disheveled from their earlier teamwork. 

“She’s awake, guys.” Sakura cheerfully said. 

Naruto gave a big smile. “We thought you wouldn’t wake up.” Sasuke nudged him, shaking his head. “I mean, we hoped you would. But you looked bad.”

“Idiot.” Sasuke muttered under his breath. “Was Lord Hokage already here?”

Sakura nodded. “So was Kakashi.” 

“I told Sakura, but let me tell you two: Thank you for saving me.” Ayame said with a small, sad smile. 

“Of course!” Naruto said. “We ninja never leave anyone to be hurt!” Then, with a more serious tone, he added, “We are sorry about what happened.” 

With the carnage the boys had just seen, they could only imagine what Ayame had endured. 

“Was...was there anyone…?” Ayame trailed off, trying to get the words out. 

“No.” Sasuke answered. He had asked the same things after the Uchiha massacre. He wanted to know if there were any survivors. He wanted to know why. No one would give him a solid, straight answer. So he gave one to her. “There were no survivors.” 

“Sasuke --” Naruto began, but Ayame stopped the scolding she was sure was coming. 

“No, I appreciate him being honest. It’s all I’ve wanted to hear. A straight answer.” Then, shaking off the pained look on her face, she tried to smile. “I never asked your names.” 

“Naruto Uzumaki! The next Hokage!” Naruto stood proud, a thumb pointing to his chest.

“Sasuke Uchiha.” 

“Uchiha?” Ayame breathed out. Yeah, he would give her straight answers. He’s already dealt with something similar. “I’m Ayame Arai.” 

“Like Ayame at Ichiraku’s?” Naruto mused. “I always liked her name. She’s nice.” 

Ayame smiled. 

\--

It was three days until Ayame was allowed to leave the hospital. Even then, she had nowhere to go. Her village was destroyed, she was in a place she had only ever heard stories of, what was she supposed to do? The Third Hokage presented her with a set of keys and promise of a small apartment near the middle of the village. 

Naruto arrived to show her to the apartment, mainly because she would live next door to him. 

“...sometimes the water doesn’t work, and sometimes the landlord gets mad and turns the electric off…” Naruto prattled on, making excuses for all the things wrong with the place. “But if you need anything, I’ll be right next door. Unless I’m training, or on a mission. Mostly I’ll be next door.” 

“Why would he get mad enough to turn the electric off?” Ayame asked. 

“Um,” Naruto scratched the back of his head, “I don’t know, actually. I know Lord Hokage got really mad at him, made him turn it back on. It never happened again after that, come to think of it. But we have the top apartments. We each have our own balcony! The lady who used to live there moved to a bigger apartment.” 

Ayame smiled. His constant prattling on gave her a much needed distraction. If she closed her eyes, she could almost make the visions go away, as long as she had his voice to concentrate on. 

“Thank you, Naruto.” She whispered as he kept going on. 

As they walked on, Naruto noticed Ayame’s steps getting slower and slower. Finally, when she began rubbing her temples, Naruto stopped walking. 

“Are you okay?” 

The girl nodded, her red hair sticking up from running her fingers through it. “I have to...memorize a new place. It gives me a headache.” 

“Memorize?” Naruto asked. “What do you mean?”

She paused, not sure how much information to give. Her power was...unknown, in a lot of places. Hell, she’d had it her entire life and she still didn’t know everything it could do. Naruto seemed trustworthy, though. “It’s part of my...power.” 

Naruto remembered the talk in Sarutobi’'s office. “The Chikaragan?”

Ayame’s head whipped around as she stopped dead in her tracks. “You know?”

“Well, the Hokage talked about it with Kakashi, and they mentioned that it was rare. But no one knows what it does.” 

“And they just...just told you? Does everyone know?” Ayame was looking concerned, she couldn’t look away from him, she was worried. 

Naruto felt as if he’d done something wrong. He rubbed the back of his neck in worry. “Just Sakura and Sasuke. It’s okay. You’re safe here.” 

A couple of small children ran past them, laughing and smiling. Ayame looked from them back to Naruto. “It’s not me I’m worried about.” 

They walked the rest of the way in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorty for ya...


	4. Chapter 4

Night fell over Konoha, the first one Ayame would spend in a new village alone. At the hospital, she constantly had nurses walking into the room, or noises in the hallway. Here she was completely alone. She had barely left Minori in her twelve years. The apartment, although sparsely furnished, was cold and lonely. Ayame missed home. She missed the fields of flowers and the bubbling brook behind her house. She missed her best friend, her father, her mother, her grandfather. Instead, all she had were the memories of them being massacred. Her parents. The children. They were all gone, all dead. There was nothing left for her. She was the sole survivor. She was alone. 

Naruto could hear her crying. He could hear the pain and anger in her voice as she cursed the air. He could feel her chakra pulsing with emotion. The walls were paper thin at the best of times. In the still of the night, it made the walls feel invisible. Naruto had always been alone, he knew what it felt like. What was that old saying? It was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? He wondered vaguely if that saying held true. Was it really better to lose something and know the pain of losing it, or have the pain of never knowing love at all?

His body moved on its own as he left his apartment and went to hers. Finding it surprisingly unlocked, he opened the door. Naruto never had trouble seeing in the dark. He didn’t need the reaction time some people did, didn’t need to wait for his eyes to acclimate. He saw her immediately, sitting curled up against the window, crying into her pillow. 

Walking up to her, as silently as he could, Naruto could feel the chakra practically palpable. The more she cried, the harder it got to breathe. The air felt stagnant in the small room. Ayame startled as he touched her shoulder. 

“Sorry,” Naruto practically whispered. “I didn’t know if having someone here would make it better?”

Ayame didn’t know, either, but she was willing to try. Grieving on her own was torture. She had no one while in the hospital. The long nights she spent in that cramped room, alone, were spent much the same way as tonight. Except this time, she had someone willing to be there. 

She nodded, and Naruto sat down in front of her. 

“If you want to talk, I’m here. If you just want company, I’m here for that, too.” 

Ayame was silent. It stretched out between them for miles. 

Then, “I -- I couldn’t...I didn't…” Ayame tried to voice what was coursing through her head. “I was... _ pathetic _ .” 

“You tried.” Naruto offered. 

Ayame snorted. “Trying didn’t keep anyone alive.”

Another round of silence stretched before Naruto spoke again. 

“The first fight I was in, I froze. I was honestly scared. Here I am, a ninja, and I’m afraid I’m going to die. I wasn’t alone, though. Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, and Sasuke were there. After that, I vowed to never freeze like that again.” Naruto took a deep breath. 

“I did have  _ some _ training. I should have been better than what I was.” 

“And was that your first fight?” When Ayame nodded, Naruto just shook his head. “Then you weren’t prepared. None of what happened is your fault.” 

Ayame’s head snapped up at that. “He was after me. He was after  _ my _ power. How is that not my fault?” Tears began to flow again. 

Naruto reached out and grabbed her hand. “It’s not your fault.” He pulled her close to him, wrapping his other arm around her shoulders. 

Ayame cried against his collarbone. 

“You could ask the Hokage to let you train?” Naruto offered. 

\--

“I want to train.” Ayame said, standing tall in front of the Hokage’s desk. Naruto’s pep talk earlier, about looking him in the eye and not showing fear, helped a lot. “I want to be able to defend myself.”

“I cannot allow you to go on missions. But I do agree it would be better if you had some additional skills. I know your grandfather taught you some, but there is so much about the Chikaragan we don’t know.” Sarutobi tapped his chin with the quill in his hand. “I’ll let you sit in on Team 7’s training. You’re permitted to learn and to train, but you cannot leave the village. Deal?”

Ayame nodded eagerly, practically rushing out of the room. 

Sarutobi shook his head and sighed. “What do you think, Kakashi?”

Kakashi was hidden in the shadows outside of the open window. If Ayame knew he was there, she never mentioned it. It didn’t surprise him the Hokage would know he was there. Kakashi stepped through the open window and smiled. 

“It’s your decision, sir.” 

“Ah,” Sarutobi tapped the parchment in front of him with his quill. “But it will be you who trains her. I already burdened you with Sasuke and Naruto.”

There was a huff of a laugh, and then, “I did pull the short straw with those two.” Kakashi sat on the edge of Sarutobi’s desk and crossed his arms. “Am I starting from scratch?”

“No, I don’t think you are. Her grandfather was a promising shinobi, and a good friend of Jiraiya’s. I’m sure he taught well. But, as far as her power, I have no idea where she is with that.”

Kakashi nodded, pushing off the desk. “I’ll be off, sir. I’m late for training.”

\--

It was a clear, cloudless day in Konoha. The temperature being just shy of being too hot, with a breeze that cooled off sweaty skin. Team 7 had been training for an hour. They figured they had that long before their sensei showed up, anyway. The warmth had Naruto shedding his jacket between shuriken training and sparring with Sasuke. Sakura watched as both boys settled into the crouches. But before either could take off, they heard the crunching sound of someone running up the trail. 

“Ayame?” Sakura asked, shielding her eyes from the sun. “Is that you?”

Ayame slid to a stop in front of her, out of breath, and put her hands on her knees. “Yeah. Lord Third is allowing me to train, and I get to train with you guys.”

Naruto threw his fists up in the air. “Yes! It worked!” He did some semblance of a victory dance. “My tips totally worked for you!”

“They did.” Ayame’s red hair was tied up, so when she nodded the small knot on top of her head bounced with her. 

Sasuke eyed her. “Do you have any skill? Or are we starting with an academy kid?”

Ayame drew her eyes down. “I am not some academy kid.”

“Prove it.” Sasuke was enticing her into attacking him. She fell for the bait. 

With a push from the ground, Ayame rushed at Sasuke. The first fist was easily deflected, the second got close enough for Sasuke to feel the wind rushing past his ear. She dropped to the ground, pushing her body up with her left arm and swung her right leg toward Sasuke, her heel brushing his shoulder. Sasuke jumped back, feeling the brush burn of shoe rubber through his shirt. He caught her foot and tossed Ayame toward Naruto, who caught her before both of them slid backward. 

“Hn.” Sasuke smirked. “Not bad, academy kid.” 

Before Ayame could speak, Kakashi teleported on the training field in a puff of smoke. “Well, then. I see you did learn something in Minori. A little rough around the edges, but we can polish that off.” Ayame took a second to preen before sticking her tongue out at Sasuke. Said boy just sighed. “Naruto, quit hugging her, we’re going to train.”

Naruto just realized he was still sitting on the ground with Ayame in his lap. With a blush, he nearly pushed her off of him trying to get up. Rubbing the back of his neck, a nervous tick he’d developed over the years, he tried to laugh it off. “Sorry.” 

“Alright, Ayame,” Kakashi leaned against a tree, his arms crossed in front of him. “Why do you want to train?”

With her bright red hair shining in the sunlight, Ayame forced herself to stand tall. “The last time someone came after me, I was helpless. I won’t be that way again. I want to defend not only myself, but people I care about.”

“Who taught you what you do know?” Sakura asked. 

“My grandfather.” Ayame said, a hint of pride in her voice. 

\--

Hours later, the four kids were laying in the grass, sweat drying in the breeze. Kakashi had worked them hard with taijutsu. He had said Ayame needed polished, he didn’t realize she was a fast learner. Not quite on Sasuke’s level, but quicker than Sakura. One thing he hadn’t gotten out of her was what the Chikaragan could do. 

“Ayame, when you’ve rested, we need to talk about your Chikaragan.” 

She pushed herself up, arms braced behind her. “Honestly,” Ayame growled out, “is this just the world’s worst kept secret? I’m supposed to be  _ hiding _ , ya know!”

“We’re special,” Naruto said with a laugh, “We found you so we got to know all about it. Although...no one really knows much.” 

Ayame just rolled her eyes. “There’s not exactly a manual for it.” 

“Is it by instinct?” Sasuke asked, sitting up with his knees to his chest. 

“Yeah.” She nodded. “And it seems like it runs off my emotions. So far anger and fear has kickstarted most of it.” She brought a hand in front of her, feeling the chakra pool in her palm. “Of course,” She said, dropping her hand back to the ground, “I hear the Sharingan works much the same way.”

“Hn.” Sasuke stared at a spot in the grass. 

“Can we see what you  _ can _ do?” Sakura asked, sitting up straight. 

Slowly, Ayame got to her feet. She felt like a side-show act, just performing for a crowd. It was like this in Minori, too. People running around her  _ show me a forcefield, can you make your eyes glow again, Ayame! Walk on the wind! _ She hated it. Eventually she would have to show them. She did want to train with them, after all. But still, knowing that everyone knew about her power, and now they just wanted to see it, made her feel like a freak show.

Ayame could clearly see the people in her village, the village she loved, expecting her to perform tricks.  _ Walk on the wall. What’s my aura? Can you sense me from over here? You’re no fun at hide and seek, you cheat! _

The memories came flooding back, the air around her charging with chakra. Naruto felt it first, the Kyuubi getting restless. He felt the air crackle against his skin with energy. There was a faint glow around Ayame as her eyes drew dark...

“Wait.” Naruto’s voice was suddenly serious. “Maybe we should give her time. I mean, she just got beat by me in taijutsu. She’s probably tired.” Ayame met his eyes with so much relief, Naruto had this insane urge to just  _ hug _ her. She just looked so broken. He knew he wasn’t the only one who could see it. Kakashi brought up the idea with trepidation. He wasn’t asking for her to show, just talk. 

“Naruto is right.” Kakashi agreed. He did see her wavering, also sensing the crackling in the air. He saw how she wasn’t excited to show off. “You kids worked hard today. Go home. We’ll meet back here at 8.” With that, Kakashi left with a poof. 

Once the kids left the training ground, Naruto ran to catch up to Ayame. Her green eyes trained on the ground in front of her, but she did acknowledge him standing beside her. He was a welcomed distraction. 

“Naruto,” Ayame’s voice was small. “Can you...can you just talk. I don’t care what you say, just give me a distraction?”

“Did I ever tell you that miso pork ramen is my favorite? Oh, but you’ve never had barbeque pork ramen-” 

Ayame smiled. This is what she needed.


	5. Chapter 5

Nighttime was always the hardest on Naruto. Well, not night exactly. Naruto had heard people call it dusk before. That time between the orange of sunset and the royal blue of night. When it was just gray. That was the worst. It’s not time for bed, but it’s too late to be out on the streets. It’s when Naruto felt the most alone. For some reason, however, this night was the worst. Maybe it was because of the thunder storm he could feel was rolling into town. Maybe it was because of the haunting look on Ayame's face before she went in her apartment. Whatever the reason, it made the walls look darker, the rooms look smaller, and made the shadows look meaner. Naruto sat at his window, hugging his knees to his chest, as the first sheet of rain fell. It was followed by a bolt of lightning that hit somewhere over the gate. Then came the thunder. A loud roar that shook the small apartment. The thunder was so loud, Naruto almost missed the quiet knock to his front door. It sounded so small in the huge roar. 

He opened the door to frightened green eyes. 

“Ayame?”

She was shaking, clutching a blanket so tight in her hands her knuckles were turning white. “Naruto, I’m sorry...I...the storm…”

Another strike of lightning hit, making the young girl jump. Naruto, recognizing fear in anyone’s eyes, gently pulled Ayame in the door. 

The rain fell in heavy sheets, drops making large circles on his window. After a hot cup of tea, and some comfortable silence, Ayame fell into a restless sleep. Naruto slept on the floor, his arm never far away from her  _ just in case. _

\--

The training field was damp from the storm as Naruto and Ayame approached. The crunch of the rocks subdued as they walked along. Sasuke and Sakura could be seen ahead, their hair making an appearance over the rounding of the hill. Truth be told, Ayame didn’t even want to go to training that day. Naruto had gently coaxed her. In the short time she had known him, that was the quietest she’d ever heard him, as he slowly talked her down from the fear of returning again. 

Sasuke was standing with his back to a wooden pole, arms crossed. Sakura was prattling on about something inane, which Ayame was sure Sasuke had heard zero of. Naruto was uncharacteristically quiet as they reached the grounds. The previous day was still running through his mind.

Sakura was the first to notice them, waving her arms in the air to catch the two’s attention. 

“Hey!” 

Ayame plastered on her best fake smile and waved back. Kakashi made his appearance before the two made it to the grass. 

“Good morning.” The jonin narrowed into Ayame’s discomfort right away. “Ayame, I want to apologize for yesterday. I can understand that, after everything that happened, you don’t want to use your Chikaragan. However, if you would like to talk about it, I’m sure we would appreciate it.”

Ayame dropped her head. “I understand.” She walked before the group, her back to the training poles. Gone was her confidence from the day before. It was replaced by defeat. “The thing is, I’m not sure how much of it is me and how much of it is the Chikaragan.” 

“Ayame --” Kakashi started, but said girl cut him off. 

“The biggest thing is that I can sense your aura. It’s like...a glowing outline surrounding you. Everyone feels different and looks different. Some people have more than one color.” She motioned toward Kakashi. “For instance, Kakashi-sensei, your aura is a bold, royal blue. There is also a light gray, like the color of heavy fog, that is sprinkled through it. Almost like the night sky and stars.” 

“You can see this all the time?” Sakura asked, her face the picture of awe. 

Naruto snapped his fingers. “You said you had a headache because you were memorizing the village. You had to memorize everyone’s auras?”

“Kind of?” She offered. “New places are the worst because the colors assault my senses. Once I’m in that place for a while, I get used to the colors and they become less prominent. I’ve heard people who can sense chakra have the same issue.”

Kakashi scratched his covered chin. “So...people can’t hide from you?”

“Nope.” Ayame said, popping the last consonant. “You can suppress chakra, but you can’t suppress an aura. It’s the color of your soul, and you can’t hide what’s in your soul.”

Sakura looked like she wanted to ask what color her’s was, but she also didn’t want to upset Ayame. So the young redhead gave in. 

“Yours is pink and beige, Sakura. The beige is the base, with the pink vining over it like flowers. It’s really pretty, like a garden in the spring.” 

“Sasuke’s is black, right. Cause he’s an asshole?” Naruto was bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Right? Right?” 

Sasuke flipped Naruto the middle finger. Ayame just laughed. 

“You’re way off. Sasuke is red. The color of ripe cherries fresh off the tree mixed with a deep red wine. The colors ebb and flow like the ocean.”

“Very poetic,” Kakashi remarked. 

“Well, I’ve been asked to do these a lot. I had to get creative. People don’t want to hear gray or blue, they want it to be romanticized.” Ayame turned to Naruto. “You are special, Naruto. You have three colors. They come off of you like the flicker of fire, all oranges and yellows. Then there’s a deep red that weaves tendrils through the flames.” 

Sasuke snorted. “Go figure his would be orange.” Naruto stuck his tongue out. “Moron.”

Sakura smiled. “I know, to you, Ayame, it’s probably annoying, but I would love to see them. It sounds beautiful.”

“How about something you can do that’s practical in battle?” Sasuke asked. 

“Knowing that people can’t hide from you is practical, Sasuke.” Naruto challenged. 

Sasuke scoffed. “Writing poetry is not.” 

The two boys started a scuffle, in which Kakashi half-heartedly told them to stop. Instead of worrying about the scuffle-turned-sparring match, the jonin placed a hand on Ayame’s shoulder. “Thank you for explaining that. If that’s all you want to share, that would be fine.”

“I’m not going to do much training if I don’t tell you what I can do. I’m sorry about yesterday, sensei.”

“No, Ayame, don’t be. We pushed too hard.”

Ayame took a deep breath, for once not feeling like she was put on display. Hell, no one was paying attention to her besides Kakashi. “I can make force fields and manipulate wind with my chakra.” 

Kakashi hid his surprise very well. “I’m sure we can figure something out for your training. Today, however, Naruto needs work on his shuriken and Sakura needs taijutsu work. Let’s start there.”

\--

Two weeks went by before Sarutobi summoned Ayame in his office. 

“We’ve finished the investigation of Minori. Other than some more snakes hiding out, we didn’t find anything else. This Daitan you mentioned, he’s long gone now. You believe it was the Chikaragan he was after?”

“Yes, what else would he want? We don’t have anything in Minori.” Ayame sighed, looking down at her feet. 

“What you did have in Minori now belongs to you. The bank has all the money from the treasury, it’s yours as sole survivor. We have the scrolls and papers, if you want to go through them.” 

“No,” Ayame’s voice was low. “Whatever you could salvage from there, just use it for the village or dispose of it. There’s nothing for me there, anyway.” 

With that, she bowed, turned and walked out.

\--

Naruto sat cross-legged in the grass watching the scene play out in front of him. Sakura sat next to him, weaving wildflowers into a bracelet, of which she used Naruto’s wrist to size it. As he sat there, arm in Sakura’s lap, he watched as Sasuke charged at Ayame, kunai in hand. He could see the pale blue color envelope her, then Sasuke would go sliding back. So far, Sasuke could not get through Ayame’s force field. 

When Kakashi came at her with lightning in his palm, it sliced her force field in half. 

“I win.” Kakashi said, his smile showing in his visible eye.

Ayame was knocked backward from the force, landing on her back. She pushed herself into a sitting position, shock on her face. “What the hell was that, sensei?”

Kakashi just laughed. 

Jumping up, Ayame put her hands together and called forth her force field. “No, I -- try again, sensei.”

With the lightning blade crackling to life under his hand, Kakashi pushed forward. Adding as much chakra as she had left, Ayame pushed against the force field. The result was both of them being thrown backwards, the force field popping like a balloon. 

“Well...was that full power, then?” Kakashi asked, rising to his feet. 

Ayame jumped to her feet, amazed at seeing a jutsu like that. “Yeah..”

“We will work on that.” Kakashi nodded before dismissing the group. 

\--

Sarutobi stood at the window of the tower, overlooking the great rock wall of previous Hokage. He knew that, eventually, someone else would be carved into that wall. The next generation would take over, taking the village into a new era of, what he hoped, would be peace. There were plenty of things he had done right as Hokage, but there are also plenty he had done wrong. 

How he had handled the village around Naruto was one of his biggest mistakes. Instead of making him into a hero, he had him ostracized. In an effort to save Naruto from the fox inside him, Sarutobi made him a pariah. He became this whispered nightmare for the village, causing the poor child to grow up alone, unloved. 

Minato and Kushina would have been furious with Sarutobi. 

Truth be told, he didn’t handle the Uchiha boy any better. 

Kakashi appeared in the doorway to Sarutobi’s office, his ANBU training making him difficult to detect. The jonin waited until the Hokage acknowledged him. 

“Kakashi, how is she doing?” Sarutobi asked, turning to face the jonin. 

“Ayame is talented.” Kakashi began. “She’s smart, adaptable, and has the potential to be very powerful.”

Sarutobi waited for the other shoe to drop. “But?”

Kakashi huffed out a laugh. “She’s too careful, too defensive. Poor girl nearly breaks down if she thinks she’s hurt one of us.” 

“She wasn’t battle trained.” Sarutobi summed up. “Only trained to fight as a last defense.” 

Kakashi nodded. “Ayame has stated several times now that the only powers she’s seen are her own. She needs to learn to battle.”

“No.” Sarutobi shut that trail of thought down. “Her gift is too precious to fall into enemy hands.”

Sighing, Kakashi tilted his head to the side. “Then you leave her to the same fate her family did?”

The Hokage opened and closed his mouth, not able to refute what Kakashi was saying. Not training her the appropriate way would be leaving her vulnerable. But mission training would open her up to being known, to being  _ found _ . 

Pushing a little further, Kakashi added, “We didn’t hide the surviving Uchiha or the Kyuubi from battle…”

There was a silence in the office as Sarutobi ran through what Kakashi had said in his mind. It would have been easy to keep Naruto hidden, keep the Kyuubi hidden, but they had allowed him to train, to go on missions, with no questions asked. Same with the Uchiha. With Sasuke being the final Uchiha left in the village, he, by rights, should have been protected. 

“What are you thinking, Kakashi?” Sarutobi sighed. “We send her through the chunin exams?” When Kakashi was silent, Sarutobi turned to face him. “You’re not serious?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying, sir.” Kakashi laughed. “I’m asking to take her on missions. Let her get some real world battle experience. She learns by doing, a lot like Naruto in that regard.” 

Sarutobi leveled Kakashi with a stare. “Why are you so invested in this? You didn’t even  _ want _ a genin team.” 

Kakashi leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. “Yeah but these damn kids grow on you. She just wants to  _ learn _ .”

The thought of that broken girl who stood in his office, defiant, asking to train crossed Sarutobi’s mind. The smile that crossed her face when he agreed. After everything that girl had been through, Ayame deserved to know how to use her power. 

Sarutobi conceded with a sigh. “Take the girl on your next mission out of the village. Please take care of her, Kakashi.” 

With a salute, Kakashi left the office. Sarutobi turned to look at the great stone mountains. “Please,” he spoke to his predecessors, “tell me I just did the right thing.” The stone heads didn’t answer.

\--

“You’re kidding?” Ayame asked, shocked. “I’m allowed out of the village? Why?”

Kakashi’s visible eye crinkled at the corners as he smiled. The training field was quiet as he gave the news. She had come to grow on the team in the last few weeks. Even Sasuke seemed to tolerate her. “You’ve proven yourself as capable. All that you’re missing is real world experience.”

Ayame’s eyes darkened. “I had real world experience.”

“You didn’t have us!” Naruto chimed in. 

“Think of this as a controlled experiment.” Kakashi shrugged. 

Once training was over, which Ayame was distracted the whole time, she grabbed Naruto’s wrist and led him toward the center of the village. 

“I need stuff. I need a clothes and kunai and first aid supplies and --”

Naruto laughed, cutting her off. “Okay, okay, first stop is the armory, then.”

After the armory, the two headed to a clothing shop in town. Ayame needed clothing that wasn’t a typical pair of tie-on pants and shirt. Her one pair of training clothes she did manage to buy was not going to cut it for a mission.

She had been out in public with Naruto before, but they had never been shopping together. Ayame learned quickly the disdain the village had for him.

The clothing store owner, a tall, lanky man, leveled Naruto with such a glare, the boy bowed his head and muttered an excuse before turning around. Before Naruto could get to the exit, a plant was sent his way, shattering against the door frame. Ayame glanced between Naruto’s retreating back and the store owner. 

“Why are you with that...that  _ thing _ ?” The man spat out. “Didn’t your parents teach you better?”

Ayame saw red. “Excuse me?”

“That abomination needs to learn his place.” 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Ayame growled out. “There’s nothing wrong with Naruto.”

The man glared at her. “If you side with that...that  _ thing _ then you are not welcome in here.” 

“Fine.” Ayame turned her back on the man. “Your shit is ugly, anyway.” She may have caused a strong wind to knock over one of his displays as she left, leaving the man yelling at her as he picked it all back up.

She found Naruto kicking the ground with his foot, head bowed as people walked past him, muttering. She wanted to ask him what was going on, why the people treated him this way, instead she just walked over and took his hand. 

“You don’t have to.” Naruto practically whispered. “I can go home. It’s okay.”

“No.” Ayame asserted. “I don’t make up my mind based on other people. I can make my own decisions on who I am friends with.” Naruto’s head snapped up. “Now, I’m not sure what is going on, but that guy was an asshole. No one deserves to be treated like that.” 

_ Is she different? _ Naruto thought.  _ She’s not going to leave? Maybe I can tell her about the fox and... _

“Naruto?” Ayame squeezed his hand tighter. 

“Yeah.” Naruto stuttered out. “Yeah, I’m -- yeah, I’m good.” He aimed for a blinding smile, all Ayame saw were sad blue eyes.

They walked to the next store together, Ayame’s hand in his. Naruto started to stand taller the more people noticed. 

_ I have a friend… _


	6. Chapter 6

Bright and early the next morning, Naruto stood in front of Ayame’s apartment door. This was it, her big day where she got out of the village, where she could learn to fight. He should be excited for her, but all Naruto could feel was the tingling where her hand fit in his the day before. He took a deep breath and knocked on her door. 

“Naruto!” She nearly bowled him over after opening the door. “I have the tools, clothes, first aid stuff...what else did I need?” 

“We went over this, yesterday. You have everything.” Naruto smiled and shook his head. 

It took Naruto twenty minutes and looked through her bag twice to get Ayame to leave the apartment. Then she practically  _ skipped _ to the village gate. 

The mission was simple. Escort a scroll to a neighboring village. There shouldn’t have been anything exciting happening. Except Team 7 never had good luck. Four ninja surrounded them, demanding the scroll. 

“What’s so interesting about a scroll?” Naruto asked, kunai poised to strike.

“Do you morons not even know what you’re carrying?” The biggest one laughed. “You’re honestly just lapdogs, aren’t you?”

A kunai was thrown from the left. Ayame acted quickly, throwing a force field to deflect the kunai back. Kakashi jumped to the ninja in front of him, sending a flying kick to the center of the man’s chest. The man flew backward, hitting the back of his head against a tree trunk. The other three sprang into action, leaving Ayame the odd one out. She stood there, unsure, as she watched Naruto use two clones to bounce the ninja back and forth with punches and kicks. Sasuke aimed a fireball straight at the one he was fighting. 

The female ninja Sakura was fighting, landed a kick to her knee cap, bending the joint the wrong way. Sakura fell to the side, crying out in pain. Ayame locked eyes with the female ninja, who was forming hand signs for something. Frozen in fear, Ayame’s eyes widened. 

“Ayame!” She heard Naruto yell out, his ninja somersaulting backwards to escape a roundhouse kick. “Don’t freeze, you’ve got this!”

It was as if someone threw cold water on her. In an instant, she realized this was a fight, this is what she wanted experience with, and she could do this. 

Before the woman’s chakra-infused thread could reach her, Ayame summoned a force field that the thread bounced off of. Pushing extra chakra into the field, she made it pulse, throwing a slight shockwave toward the woman. It was enough to knock her onto the ground, where Sakura stumbled over and, with the butt of her kunai, rendered the woman unconscious. 

As Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke bound all the rogue ninja, Ayame kneeled down beside Sakura to try and help. 

“I’m fine.” Sakura said, weakly. “Just dislocated, I think.” 

“I’m sorry, Sakura.” Ayame offered. “I froze.”

“So did I, the first time. But you were amazing.” Sakura smiled. “Sensei will be proud.” 

Naruto bound over, smiled brightly. “You did it, Ayame! You and Sakura had great teamwork!”

Kakashi came over to assess Sakura’s injuries. Once the knee was set, with a painful squeal from Sakura, Kakashi lifted her onto his back. 

The village they were going to was nestled in a valley between two mountains. Known for mining, the village’s feudal lord lived in a granite house with large granite statues on each side of the path. 

“Lord.” Kakashi bowed as they came upon the portly man. “Your scroll.” 

“Any issues?” The lord’s deep voice bellowed. He looked at both Ayame down his nose. It was unsettling.

Kakashi motioned toward the edge of the forest, where the rogue ninja were waiting, unconscious. “Four ninja, all wrapped and ready for your guards.”

The Lord motioned to his guards, who then ran off in the rogue ninja’s direction. 

“I’d ask you to stay a while,” The Lord began, “but I’m sure you have other matters to attend to.” He again glanced toward the young girl, his eyes narrowing. When the group began to leave, the Lord held up his hand. “Wait, are you Lord Jin’s daughter?” He pointed directly at Ayame. 

“I’m sure you’re mistaken.” Kakashi covered. “She’s just an orphan from Konoha.” 

The portly man didn’t look convinced, but nodded anyway. “Yes...must just be a resemblance, then. Have you heard about Minori?”

The jonin nodded. “Yes, it was tragic.”

“Ay, it was. Too bad Minori and Konoha had that falling out, or they might have helped.” 

Ayame looked like she’d just been stabbed in the chest. What ‘falling out’? Could they have been helped? Before she could open her mouth, Kakashi shifted his body to be in her line of sight. 

“Politics are so tricky,” Kakashi began. “It’s so hard to keep up with who aligned with who. Konoha has never turned down anyone asking for assistance. I’m sure that, even if a falling out occured, we still would have helped.” 

The Lord huffed out a laugh. “Ay, that they are.” Then, as if an afterthought, “Here’s the other half of the fee, plus some extra for the quick work.”

Kakashi turned and put a hand on Ayame’s shoulder. “Thanks, Lord, but we had better get going. We could still make it back to Konoha before nightfall.” The jonin squeezed that hand to keep Ayame quiet. 

Ayame did hold her tongue until the forest engulfed them. “What was he talking about? What ‘falling out’ did our villages have? Is that way no one helped us?”

With a sigh, Kakashi knelt in front of the girl. “I have never heard of that. That man was fishing for the truth by throwing out lies. Don’t believe a word. When Lord Third heard of your village, he was shocked. That type of shock you can’t fake. If we knew, we would have been there. I promise you.” 

“How did we not know, though?” Sasuke asked. “Our villages aren’t that far apart.” 

“Barriers have been set up around that village since the Fourth was alive.” Kakashi answered. 

“To protect me.” Ayame’s voice was quiet. “They were put up right after I was born and they saw my power.”

Kakashi nodded. “And that’s why we didn’t know. The barrier practically acts like a one-way window.” Then, after standing up and stretching, the jonin smiled. “Besides that, Ayame, you did well today. You protected a teammate when they were hurt. Good job.” He gave her a thumbs up.

Even if what she’d heard was still churning through her mind, Ayame did take a second to preen at the praise. “Thank you, sensei.” 

\--

After Kakashi had completed his mission report, The Third looked to Ayame, who was lost in thought. 

“Ayame?”

The young redhead was startled out of her thoughts. “Lord Third?”

“What has you so preoccupied, child?” Sarutobi waved her toward him. “Kakashi said the Lord of that village had said some things.” 

“Was there a misunderstanding between our villages? A falling out?” Ayame asked, her voice quiet. 

Sarutobi shook his head. “No, not once. Minori provided us with herbs and flowers for medicines as payment for erecting the barrier.”

“Konoha did it?” Ayame looked shocked. She was always told it was her grandfather. 

Sarutobi nodded. “The Fourth Hokage and his wife, to be exact. The deal was made between him and your grandfather after you were born. I remember so clearly because I was Lord Fourth’s acting advisor. Your grandfather came in carrying you in his arms. He was so proud the Chikaragan was born in his village.”

A tear ran down Ayame’s cheek. 

“Barriers have to be managed.” Sasuke said. “Who has been managing it?”

Sarutobi shook his head. “The barrier the Fourth used was self-managed. No one ever needed to bother with it, which kept the corners hidden.”

“If you knew,” Ayame began, her voice small and shaky, “that Minori was in trouble, would Konoha have helped?”

With no hesitation, The Third simply said, “Yes.” 

Kakashi put a hand on Ayame’s shoulder, his eye crinkling in a smile. 

“Now,” Sarutobi said, clapping his hands together. “I think you should all go get some lunch. It’s been an eventful morning, and Kakashi and I need to talk.” 

Once the kids had left, with Naruto rambling about being  _ starving _ and wanting  _ ramen, Sasuke!  _ the two adults turned to each other. 

“How did she do?” Sarutobi asked. 

“Good.” Kakashi said with a smile. “She and Sakura worked together to take down their opponent.” 

“Good, good.” Sarutobi nodded. 

“Is there something specific you want to know, sir?”

He huffed out a laugh. “Ah, Kakashi, you always had a knack for reading people.” Sarutobi sat back in his chair. “Is she genin level?” Kakashi nodded. “Should we make it official?”

“The chunin exams?”

“No.” The Hokage shut that line of questioning down. “It’s way too dangerous for the other villages to know of her power without her being able to control it. Unfortunately, she will sit this year out. I can, however, make her a genin and let you take her on missions. Easy missions. It should satisfy her for the time being.” 

\--

Ayame had herself prepped for the nightmare she was sure was coming. First the Lord of that little village and all his opinions, now Lord Third talks about her grandfather. She knew the dam, as weak as it is, that held back her memories would break. What she had not prepared for was Naruto reading her like a book.

“Have you ever played poker?”

Ayame, who had her hand on the doorknob to her apartment, snapped her head around. “Poker?”

“Yeah.” Naruto looked almost embarrassed. “I...when I lived in the orphanage, the janitors used to play at night. I couldn’t sleep a lot there so I would watch. I kind of picked up how to play.”

“I...I have never played poker.” Ayame stammered. “But...I mean, is it hard to learn?”

“Nope.” Naruto smiled. “I...I can, ya know, teach you?” He began rubbing the back of his head. 

Ayame, trying to look nonchalant, just shrugged. “Sure. But if I’m bad at it, you can’t laugh at me.” 

“Deal!”

An hour later, when the sun went down and the deep blue of the night sky was overhead, Ayame was still terrible at poker.

“You have a clone hiding?” Ayame slammed her fist on the table. “How else could you possibly know what I have in my hand?”

Naruto was practically rolling on the floor laughing. “No! No! Honestly, I don’t!” 

“I’m seriously  _ that _ bad at this game, huh?” Ayame rolled her eyes. “I give up. How about Go Fish? I might be able to do that.” 

“One more hand?” Naruto offered, gathering the cards. 

Ayame shrugged. “Sure, I’ll lose again.”

And, lose she did. Dramatically. With a growl and a slap of hand against the table. Naruto’s smile was bright in the dim room as he laughed. Ayame got up, frustrated with poker, and started Naruto’s teapot. If he could beat her in poker over and over again, she was making herself at home and starting tea. Naruto watched her, slowly coming down from his bout of laughter. It occurred to him, as the teapot whistled, that he’d never had a girl in his apartment. She’d been in there for hours now, and Naruto decided that was a good time to see how dirty it was. Did he leave any dirty clothes laying around? Empty ramen cups? 

“Naruto?” Ayame asked, head in Naruto’s fridge. “Did you know your milk is expired?” When all she got was a stammer in return, she just smiled. “Don’t worry, I got some. I’ll be right back.” 

As she walked out the door, Naruto took a second to calm himself down. The apartment wasn’t  _ that _ dirty, considering he was a twelve year old boy. His mind, instead, began going over the events of the day. A quick mission, in which they all kicked ass, then back in Konoha in time for dinner. Something about the mission had been working on him. For a girl from a  _ hidden _ village, that portly man in the small mining village sure recognized her. 

When Ayame ducked back into his apartment, Naruto decided to bring it up to her. 

“That guy in that village,” Naruto began as she was pouring milk into their tea, “how did he know you?”

Ayame was carrying their cups back to the small table, a pondering look on her face. “I don’t know, actually. If I was allowed to leave the village, I always had to wear this black wig so no one recognized me. I hated it, it was so hot.” 

“A wig?” Naruto asked, confused. 

“Yeah,” Ayame waved it off, taking a drink of her tea. “Something about my red hair would make people recognize me easier. My dad went on and on about it for  _ years _ . I gave up, eventually. It was the only way to be allowed out of Minori.”

Naruto sipped at his tea. Just shy of being too sweet, but good. “Were they being overprotective, you think?”

Her gaze went far away for a moment. “Yeah.” She finally answered. “My grandpa trained me, what little he could. Dad was always breathing down our necks once he found out, though. Started yelling at grandpa about putting me in danger. I was young, maybe four or five? I remember grandpa trying to talk dad down. It was a huge mess. After that, we could only train when dad was occupied. I hated sneaking around.” Then, with a wry smile, she added, “I swear that’s the only reason he made dad village leader, so he could train me easier.”

There was a pause of silence while Naruto absorbed what she’d said. “Gramps said there are only five of you with the Chika-thing?”

Ayame smirked. “Chikaragan.” 

“Yeah, that thing. So, it’s, like, really rare, but why are people protecting it? Just because it’s rare?”

“Now that is a story.” Ayame sighed. “There have only been five, but we’ve never been alive at the same time.” There was a beat, and then Naruto opened his mouth in an ‘o’ shape. “Yeah...people think the Chikaragan is like the Sharingan. They think it can be transposed into someone else. But...but it  _ can’t _ . It’s not visual, it’s in my DNA. Can’t be removed. It’s how all of the previous holders died, from people who believed in myths and legends.”

Naruto’s eyes were wide as he listened. People would try to steal her eyes if they knew? He was so confused and had so many questions wrapping around his brain. “So...did someone else in your family have it?”

“The Chikaragan? No.” She paused to take a sip of her, now cold, tea. Her face grimaced at the taste of it. “No one knows how anyone gets it, honestly. All the previous four have never lived past childhood, so we don’t know if it’s genetic. It just...just seems to  _ happen _ , I guess.”

Naruto nodded along, but his mind was barely keeping up. If the previous owners of the power died before they could grow up, it’s not a wonder why everyone was so protective of her, and why people are so eager to find her. It makes sense someone would destroy an entire village to get her, as sick as that thought is. Villages have been destroyed for less, sadly. 

Ayame broke through his thoughts. “The people in my village knew I had powers, but they didn’t know what it was. Just that I could make blue force fields, or manipulate the wind.” Another wry laugh left her. “It was like a magic trick.  _ Ayame, walk on the water. Ayame, make the blue bubbles. Make the wind blow. Walk up that tree. _ God, I hated when they would do that. I felt like I was a sideshow.”

It was like puzzle pieces clicked in Naruto’s head. “That’s why...I mean, you didn’t want to talk about it that day.”

“Yeah,” She rubbed her tired eyes. “I don’t like being put on display, I guess.” Ayame yawned. 

“You’re tired.” Naruto said it with sadness in his voice. He didn’t want to be alone after having fun all evening. “I guess you should go to bed…”

Ayame narrowed her eyes. He sounded... _ sad. _ Sad he would be alone? She remembered the way the store owners treated him, how the people whispered behind their hands. She noticed that he only had single-serving anything in the apartment, as if he doesn’t entertain anyone. There was a pang in her chest when she realized he’s always alone. 

“Nah,” She smiled. “I’m comfortable right here.” 

The blinding smile that lit up Naruto’s face brightened the dark room. 

With blankets, pillows, and warmth around them, the two kids slept on the floor beside each other. It was a haphazard mess, the floor littered with shoes and bedroom comforts, but Naruto didn’t spend the night alone. In the end, that’s all Ayame wanted.

\--

“I’m sorry?” Ayame blinked up at Kakashi, who was currently holding out a Konoha headband. The metal plate glinted in the sunlight as Kakashi’s hand held it still. 

“As of today, you are officially a genin.” His eye crinkled as he smiled. 

Ayame just blinked. “But...I was told I could only train. That one mission --”

“That one mission was a test. You passed.” Kakashi wiggled the headband again. 

With a glance to the other three, just to make sure it wasn’t a trick, Ayame slowly reached for the headband. Her hands were shaking as the piece of metal clicked against her nails, the silky blue material threading through her fingers. It felt surreal. She slowly raised it to her head, tying the ends tightly. She wasn’t sure how she wanted to wear it, but Ayame was grateful she had it at all. 

Naruto jumped, hands in the air. Sakura had her hands under her chin, squealing. Sasuke barely hid a smirk. Kakashi continued to smile as she adjusted the headband yet again. 

“So...missions and all of that?” Ayame asked, still unsure this wasn’t all a dream. 

Kakashi shrugged. “Almost all of it. Sadly, I can’t invite you to join the chunin exams.” He turned to hand the invitations to the other three. “Trust me, I tried.” 

Ayame couldn’t hide the disappointment in her eyes. She’d been with Team 7 for nearly a month. She wanted to follow them through everything, even though, in her heart, she knew she couldn’t. It didn’t matter that she lived here now, truth be told she wasn’t a Leaf ninja. Probably never would be considered one, fully. 

“I get it.” Ayame said, shrugging it off. “Can I at least watch them?”

“Kakashi-sensei?” Naruto exclaimed. “Why can’t she go, too? That’s not fair!”

“I agree, sensei! She’s on our level, even without the academy.” Sakura chimed in. 

Kakashi sighed. “I agree, but it’s not up to me.” He then looked to Ayame. “You will be right next to me at the finals. We will watch them together.” 

Naruto was still complaining about the decision hours later, after training and ramen and trying to be excited for a chance to be chunin. He complained about it the whole night, when the pillow and blanket pile moved to Ayame’s apartment floor. 

“Naruto, I’m not mad about it. I’ve only been here, and training, for a month. I have plenty of time to learn and take it next year. Honestly, it’s fine.” 

Naruto crossed his arms and pouted. “I’m still pissed.” 

Ayame snorted. “No, I couldn’t tell at all. Besides, I’ll be in the crowd cheering for you!”

It was a small consolation prize, knowing her friends would be going through something as serious as this. But at least she could be there in some part. 

“I want you to be there...but I want you to be a part of it.” 

Ayame gave Naruto a small smile. “I know. But...this is the way it is for now.” 


	7. Chapter 7

Naruto was sound asleep, snoring and drooling on, what Ayame hoped, was his pillow. In the moonlight, Naruto’s features smoothed out. His sharp lines from being loud and bright all the time dulled. And the drooling, although gross, was a little endearing. Especially when you combined it with the night hat. Ayame smirked, climbing out of the pillow and blanket fort. It was cold in the apartment, especially after coming out of that warmth. 

Something had woken Ayame. A pull from the corner of her mind. She had nights like this in Minori, when the village was silent, but her mind wasn’t. Something would draw her mind and she couldn’t rest until it finally rested. The people in Minori were known to her. She could tell each one of their auras apart. But here, in Konoha, she didn’t have everyone memorized, there were just too many. Who would stand out enough to pull like this?

The streets were quiet, save for the late workers, or drunk patrons. Ayame walked briskly wherever the pull took her. It weaved between buildings, curled around the market, and even pulled her across the river. It was while she was walking in the woods after crossing the river that the aura hit her. Deep and bold red, moving in an ebb and flow.  _ Sasuke. _ Peeking from a tree, she watched as he threw kunai, making them knock each other to curve around trees. Sasuke always did have a fluidity about his movements, a practiced grace. But tonight, that grace was gone. He was undisciplined, unruled, his movements janky and sharp. 

When Sasuke spun around, Ayame saw the tears on his face reflecting in the moonlight. She gasped before she realized, making Sasuke stop in his tracks.

“Come out.” Sasuke was trying to keep his voice steady. It broke anyway. 

Ayame slowly walked from behind the tree, hands up in surrender. “I wasn’t snooping. Something...something  _ pulled _ me here.” 

“Pulled you?” Sasuke asked, angrily wiping the tears from his face. “Well, you’ve seen it, now leave.” 

“Sasuke…” Ayame stepped forward, only for him to step back. “Please, just talk to me.” 

“You won’t understand. No one understands.” His voice was so broken, so raw, it filled Ayame with sorrow. 

She tentatively tried to pick the best thing to say. “I might understand more than you think, you just have to talk to me. I’m a good listener, I promise. You need to get it off your chest, I think.” 

“How would you understand losing your entire clan?” Sasuke was angry, his Sharingan flaring to life. 

Ayame looked indignant. “I lost my entire family  _ and _ village in one night. It’s not a pissing match, Sasuke.” After a bout of silence, Ayame sighed. “You don’t have to talk about  _ it _ , but would you like to talk about why tonight hit you so hard?”

Sasuke’s Sharingan faded back to black. “No.” 

“Okay.” Ayame took a seat at the base of the tree. “Then I’ll just sit here.” 

“Why?”

Ayame gave him a tired smile. “Because we’re friends. It’s what friends do.” 

Sasuke didn’t talk about what happened that night. He didn’t talk about the massacre at all. He just threw kunai until his hands were raw. Then, as the deep blue of the night gave way to the orange and yellow morning, Sasuke sat at the base of the tree beside her, letting Ayame bandage his sore hands. 

“Good thing we don’t have training today, huh?” Ayame joked. Sasuked just hummed. “Did it help? Me just being here?”

Sasuke’s cheeks were stained pink when he nodded. “A little.” 

“Good.” Ayame smiled. “Now, go get some sleep. If you need this again, let me know. I’ll be here.” 

As they parted, Sasuke looked like he felt lighter. He looked as if he’d worked through the nightmare that night. She snuck back into her apartment, back into the blanket fort. She was chilled from sitting outside all night, but the cocoon Naruto had them in was warm. With the yellow of the sunrise peeking through the window, Ayame fell asleep. They had the day off, sleeping in was allowed. And by the way Naruto was snoring, he would still be out for a while.

\--

Chunin exam week was bright and warm, crystal clear sky a beautiful shade of blue. Ninja from all over showed up, the hotels and guest rooms filled to the brim. Naruto wasn’t sure if he was nervous, excited, or just had a stomach ache. He was somewhere in that zone. The team, minus Ayame, met at the bridge. In a twist of fate, Kakashi was already waiting for them. 

“Hey.” The jonin said with a wave. “How are you feeling? Ready?”

“Is this what you invited us here for?” Sasuke looked bored. 

Naruto just huffed. “Act all cool, Sasuke. We know you’re nervous, too.” 

“Idiot.” 

The two boys glared at each other. 

“Teamwork!” Kakashi said loudly, causing Naruto and Sasuke to look at him. “That is the word of the day for all three of you. Work together, remember you are part of a team and there is no ‘i’ in team.” 

The pep talk worked for all of two minutes. The two boys were fighting before they hit the main street. 

Ayame sat on the swing outside of the academy, waiting for her friends. People were coming in, looking excited and nervous, some of them looking close to throwing up. She even witnessed two ninja literally dragging their friend in the door. 

“Ayame!” She could hear Naruto over the crowd, not that it surprised her. 

“Hey guys.” Ayame stood up, smiling. “I came to wish you good luck!”

“I’m still sorry you can’t join us.” Sakura dropped her head, her hands curled in front of her chest. “It’s not fair, you’re just as good as we are.” 

Sasuke snorted, Ayame glared at him. 

“I seem to remember putting you on your ass at one point, Sasuke.” 

“Must have been in your dreams.” Sasuke quipped back. 

A jonin stood in the doorway to the academy, ushering the stragglers in the door. With a wave, Sasuke and Sakura walked toward the building, but Naruto stood still. He was kicking the ground with his sandal. 

“Um...so, I’m sorry you can’t come in.” 

Ayame smiled. She walked forward and put her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. “Good luck, Naruto. I know you can do this.” 

When she pulled back, Naruto hit her with a blinding smile. “Thanks, Ayame.” 

She smiled back and shooed him toward the academy. “Go.” 

Naruto called for the other two as he ran toward the academy. Ayame sighed and sat back down on the swing. Now she waits.

\--

Naruto walked out of the exams, a huge smile plastered to his face. He passed! Sakura was prattling on about what had happened while Sasuke looked bored. 

“All of that time, wasted!” Sakura hit her palm with a fist. “It was stupid!”

Sasuke shrugged. “I thought they  _ wanted _ us to cheat.” 

“It was about teamwork.” Naruto suddenly had a puzzle piece click in place. “Kakashi-sensei! He told us the word of the day was teamwork.” 

The three of them looked at each other. Did Kakashi give them the answer the whole time? 

The sun was bright as they left the academy, it only being afternoon. The fact that their sensei sort of helped them cheat is still running through their heads. 

When Naruto saw Ayame, his face lit up. Sakura noticed and smirked. 

“So,” Sakura began, nudging Sasuke’s arm with hers, “I’m tired. Maybe we should just call it a night. Then we can be all rested for tomorrow.” Sasuke looked at her strangely. “I mean, the test was draining.” As she talked, she motioned toward Naruto with her head, who was still smiling dopely in Ayame’s direction.

“Fine.” Sasuke rolled his eyes.

“Okay.” Naruto agreed, finally turning his head. “See you tomorrow.” 

Sakura waved at Ayame as they walked past while Naruto nearly barreled over her. 

“I passed!” Naruto exclaimed, jumping up and pumping his arm.

Ayame’s green eyes lit up. “I knew you could do it! Tell me all about it over ramen.” 

“Ramen?” Naruto froze in place. “Like...Ichiraku’s?” Ayame nodded. “You are amazing.” 

Ayame’s cheeks were stained red as they walked towards the market. 

\--

They said goodbye at the edge of the path. Beyond the knoll was the Forest of Death, where the three had to go, and where Ayame wasn’t allowed. The redhead hugged each of them in turn, even though Sasuke acted as if he could have done without it. 

“Good luck.” Ayame said with a sad smile. She wasn’t sure how long it would be before she saw them again. She missed them already.

As the three walked away, Ayame fought back tears. She was alone. It was selfish of her to think that way, but they were all she knew. The month she’d been in Konoha, her days had been spent with them. 

Ayame startled as someone put a hand on her shoulder.  _ Kakashi-sensei. _

“They will be fine.” Kakashi sounded unsure if he was placating her or him. “I promised you could watch, but you can’t watch inside the forest. You can, however, come with me to the tower in a couple days.” 

“Couple of days?”

“Well,” Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. “Anko is proctor for this exam. She’s giving them five days in the Forest of Death.” 

“Forest of Death?”

“You sound like a parrot.” Kakashi tried to joke. It fell flat. “Anyway, it’s your day to do what you want. Go, have fun. Don’t forget to water Naruto’s plants.” With his back turned to her, he waved and walked away. 

With no other options, Ayame decided to take a walk around the forest. The chunin were still guarding all the gates, which were all locked tight, so she skirted on the very edge. Feeling for any aura she could, she tried to find her friends. It was very faint, the feel of orange and yellow and red on red. It didn’t surprise her to not find Sakura, her aura always paled when with those two.

She pushed harder, focusing more and more into the forest, searching for Sakura’s pale pink and beige, when a jolt shot through her. Blood red and hunter green, like paint splotches on canvas. 

_ Daitan. _

The man who destroyed her village and her family was inside that forest. Gates be damned, she was going after him. Rage shot through her as she charged toward the nearest gate. The chunin standing guard was practically sleeping, his head lolling back against the fence as he leaned against it. With a hop and a flip, Ayame was over the fence before the chunin knew what was going on. 

The forest was dark. Barely any light filtered in from the canopy above. Ayame could feel the air whipping in her face as she pushed off the trees. She clung to the feeling of Daitan’s aura, her heart pumping faster. She was so close. 

She heard Sakura scream. 

It was then, Ayame realized, she’d been so focused on Daitan’s aura, she didn’t realize she could sense her teammates mixed in as well. The faster she pushed against the trees, the more assaulted by color she became. The reds and oranges and yellows and greens, all against a backdrop of Sakura’s pale pink and beige. 

They must have been fighting, with how the auras were moving and twisting around each other. It was then she watched how the tendrils of red that wrapped through Naruto’s yellow and orange fire bloomed bigger and bigger, until it became part of the flame. 

_ What could that mean? _

When Ayame finally broke through the trees enough to see what was happening, she watched as the man with Daitan’s aura elongated his neck and bit Sasuke. She froze on the limb in fear. She couldn’t move, couldn’t scream. The man looked up as his teeth broke through Sasuke’s skin, looking into Ayame’s eyes. The fangs were pulled out and he was off of Sasuke in a second. 

“Ah, two for one, huh?” He smirked. “Remember me, little girl?”

Sakura turned her head to see Ayame frozen in place on a branch, horror written on her face. Sasuke hit his knees, purging his stomach on the thick branch. 

“A coward, just like your father.” 

Ayame felt something in her snap. Her eyes whited out, pale blue glowing at the edges. Sakura just stared at her. No one in Konoha had ever seen the actual power of the Chikaragan. Daitan, however, just laughed. 

“I’ve already seen that. Didn’t scare me then, either.” 

A scream left Ayame, something primal and dark, before she pushed off the tree. With her left arm she made a chopping motion, sending a chakra charged wave of air toward him. Ayame landed on the branch between Sasuke and Sakura, doing the same motion with her right hand. The arcs of wind sliced along the tree branch Daitan was standing on, chipping through the bark as they continued toward him. Daitan flipped backward, hanging perpendicular to the trunk. The arcs sliced part way through the tree before dissipating. 

With a smirk, Daitan formed a sign and held it in front of his chest. “Eventually, Sasuke will come for me.” He then faded into purple smoke as he teleported away. 

Ayame, eyeing Naruto hanging on a nearby tree, hopped over to scoop him up. She motioned for Sakura to grab Sasuke and follow her. Sakura was still in shock over everything that just happened, but did as she was told. They found a hollowed out section of tree, where the limbs grew over the ground. 

“Who was that?” Sakura asked, her voice low in the darkness. 

“Daitan.” Ayame growled out, adjusting Naruto’s jacket so it wasn’t choking him as she laid him down. 

“Daitan?” Sakura repeated, shocked. “The guy who --”

“Yeah.” Ayame stopped her before she could finish. “I felt his aura when I was walking around, and the closer I got to him, the closer I got to you guys.” 

“Thank God you got there when you did!” Sakura looked tired, more worn out than Ayame had ever seen her. “I was useless.” 

Ayame cast her a glance. “No, you were scared. You’ve never been up against that dickhole.” 

It wasn’t the first time Sakura had heard Ayame swear. She’d had colorful language since she’d got to the village. But that line was a first. Sakura snorted. “What do we do now?”

“Wait for them to wake up, I guess. Or for someone to figure out I’m in here. Whichever comes first.” Sakura noticed Ayame’s eyes changing back to green as she talked. 

“That guy... _ bit _ Sasuke. He did something to Naruto, too. Something about a marking on his stomach and the fox inside him? What is he talking about?”

Before Ayame could even think to form an answer, Sasuke’s body began to shake as he groaned in pain. 

“He’s running a fever.” 

They set up the makeshift tent, the two girls setting traps around them. They took turns changing Sasuke’s forehead rag and making sure Naruto was still breathing. 

“Sunrise should be soon.” Ayame said, quietly. “Then maybe we can get some help?”

Sakura shook her head. “We can’t quit in the middle of it. The proctor said they will look for us after five days.” 

They were quiet again, until Ayame remembered something Sakura had said earlier. “You said Daitan said Naruto has a mark on his stomach?” Ayame slowly pulled Naruto’s jacket up to see a black seal with strange markings on the outside. “It’s some sort of...seal I think? I don’t know, grandpa used to study these things. I never paid attention. He used to always say ‘Little Flower, someday you will need to know about seals.’ We should really listen to old people.” 

When the sun began to rise, three people jumped from the bushes. They wore the headbands of Sound ninja. 

“We’ve come for Sasuke. But we will take you, too, little red.” 

Ayame hit the ground with both hands, forcing a wall of chakra-compressed wind to shoot up in front of them. Sakura grabbed a kunai and held it in front of her. 

“You will get neither of us. Tell Daitan to go fuck himself.” Ayame growled out.

The Sound ninja looked at each other. “Who is Daitan? We work for Orochimaru.” 

“Maybe it was a body he took?” The female shrugged. 

“Whoever he is,” Ayame yelled. “Tell him to fuck himself.” She pushed against the wall, sending it careening toward the ninja. The one with the strange metal piece on his arm sent out a shockwave, dispelling the chakra-fueled air. 

The two young girls looked at each other. Sakura took a deep breath, gripping the kunai until her knuckles turned white. “We have to protect them.” 

The force field won’t take them out, but it can be used to block incoming attacks. Ayame sprang into action, running toward the woman. She formed the seals for shadow clones, a ninjutsu Naruto had taught her. She couldn’t make as many as him, her chakra pool not nearly the size of his, but she could handle two. The three Ayames surrounded her, using the taijutsu she’d painstakingly learned from Kakashi to break the Sound ninja down. Once she was on the ground, Ayame turned to the man with the fur on his back, but she was met with the metal on his arm aimed straight for her temple. Ayame hit the ground with a thud, gripping at her head, hard.

The two remaining Sound ninja turned back to Sakura, stalking her way. She tried to fight, running at him with her kunai, but he sidestepped her, grabbing a handful of her hair in the process. 

With Ayame on the ground, and the two boys unconscious, Sakura became the only hope. 

When the pounding in Ayame’s head finally stopped, and she could stand to open her eyes, she saw Sakura on the ground, pink hair lying all around her. There were three genin standing in front of her, protecting her. Ayame glanced toward the hollowed out part of the tree, where Naruto and Sasuke still lay, untouched. There was a purple halo of chakra coming off of Sasuke, mixing into his aura. It was tainting the reds, making it all a heavy violet color. It didn’t suit Sasuke at all, Ayame decided. 

The three genin were trying to fight the Sound ninja, and were doing a decent job of it, too. Ayame crawled toward Sakura, taking stock in her injuries. Her left eye was swollen nearly shut, several cuts decorated her face in blood trails. She was covered in the dark brown dirt of the forest floor, the red of her dress ruined. A blonde genin was talking, but all Ayame could hear was ringing in her ears. With her head spinning, she fell back to the ground, the ringing in her ears sounding more like screams. 

When Ayame awoke again, Sakura had a grip on Sasuke as black marks all over his body slowly receded. Confused, she looked around to see the Sound ninja with the fur grabbing one of his teammates. 

“Here’s the scroll.” 

She whipped her head around to find Naruto. He was still laying under the tree roots, a semblance of safely. 

“Who the hell is Orochimaru?”

It was Sakura, her voice sounding as if she was speaking through a tunnel. 

“Hey, are you okay?” Ayame looked up to see a genin, his hair tied up, leaning over her. “This was such a drag.” 

Another voice drifted around her. “She wasn’t in the academy with us, Shikamaru.” 

“Ayame!” Sakura kneeled down beside her. “Please tell me you’re okay!”

“I think,” Ayame said, holding her ear, “that dick broke my eardrum.” A strong pair of hands grabbed her arm and waist, hoisting her up. When Ayame looked at the source, it was Sasuke. “Thanks.”

Sasuke grunted at her before gently walking toward the tree. He sat her down beside Naruto. A group had gathered around the hollow part of the tree, looking in to see what was going on. 

A genin with long, blonde hair, with her hands on her hips, leveled a glare at Ayame. “Who the hell are you, anyway? And what is that power you have? I’ve never seen that before.”

“Let her answer, Pig!” Sakura growled out. 

“You must be Ino.” Ayame said with a smile, remembering all the things Sakura had told her. “Sakura has told me about you. I’m Ayame.” From beside her, Naruto began to stir. She jumped to her knees, head spinning slightly, to lean over him. “Naruto?”

His blue eyes opened slowly, blinking, before widening in realization. “Ayame? What are you doing here?”

Ayame huffed out a laugh. “Long story.” 

“We’ve got the time.” Ino said, still not sure she trusted the young redhead. 

As Sakura gave way to an abridged version of the story, including how they had met Ayame in the first place, Ayame checked Naruto over. He looked fine, just dirty. 

“You okay?” She asked. 

Naruto shrugged. “I think so. What happened to me?”

“Not sure, I got here after you were already out. Sakura said something about a seal on your stomach...honestly, I couldn’t follow half of what she said.” 

Naruto had a strange look on his face. “Oh. What happened to you?” He reached out to wipe a trail of blood off her cheek. “Your ear is bleeding.” 

“We had a fight. I think my eardrum is broken.” When Naruto’s eyes widened, Ayame hurried to placate him. “I’ll be fine, Naruto. Honestly.” 

Finally, after Sakura finished the story, and Team 10 had left to continue the exam, the four sat around a small fire Sasuke had started. It was quiet, save for the creatures of the forest. Ayame was still trying to figure out what she was going to do now. She was sort of stuck in the forest. 

“How did you get in here?” Sasuke asked, as if reading her mind. 

“I, uh, hopped a fence.” When Sasuke just raised an eyebrow, Ayame continued. “The guy who destroyed my village, I felt his aura in here. I was trying to find you guys, to make sure you were okay. But his jumped out at me, and it was near yours, so I may have hopped a fence to help you.”

“Wait.” Naruto slammed his hand down on the dirt floor. “That guy, that Daitan guy, was here? Like we were fighting him? That weird snake guy?”

“When I called him Daitan, those Sound ninja said his name was Orochimaru.” Sasuke was absentmindedly rubbing at the spot on his neck where he was bitten. “Shit, Sasuke, your bite mark.” Ayame grabbed his shirt collar, pulling it down so she could see. “It looks like the one the people in Minori had!”

“Bite mark?” Naruto asked, leaning over. “Did that snake guy do that?”

Sasuke pulled out of her grasp, snapping at her. “Leave me alone.” 

“But, Sasuke, you were really sick after that.” Sakura was fidgeting her hands in front of her. 

Sasuke just stood up, stomping away from the three. Ayame, to her credit, didn’t take no for an answer very often. She stood up and stomped after the Uchiha. 

“Sasuke, honestly, stop running away from me.” 

He spun around, nearly knocking Ayame over. “I said to leave me alone. I don’t need your help.” 

“Quit kicking people out of your life when they  _ care _ , Sasuke.” She challenged. “We care about you, and if something is causing you pain, we are going to want to fix it. It’s called life. Now let me see that mark.” 

The glare Sasuke sent her would have burned a lesser man. Ayame didn’t budge. Eventually, Sasuke relented, bending his head to the side to give her better access. She touched it carefully, pulling his shirt collar further down. The three commas gave off a red glow when she touched them. 

“Sasuke...if something starts talking to you. In your head. Please tell me. That’s what happened in Minori, then all hell broke loose. Please don’t let this go and ignore it. I’m begging you.”

“It gave me power.” 

Ayame’s eyes snapped to his. “Is that worth your life?” 

Sasuke didn’t answer, just walked away. 


	8. Chapter 8

“What are you gonna do?” Sakura asked Ayame while the four of them ate roasted fish by a small fire. It had been twenty-four hours since the  _ incident _ , but Sasuke and Naruto seemed to have healed well. 

Ayame just shrugged. “I’ll have to sneak out, probably. I can’t just show up at the tower with you, I’m not supposed to even be around the forest.” 

“We will need to find scrolls, I guess.” Sakura had her chin in her hand as she talked. The fish was dangling from her other hand, nearly neglected and probably cold. 

Sasuke laid both the scrolls they needed in front of him. “No, we have both of them. We can just go to the tower, now.” 

Naruto’s eyes went wide. “When? I thought that snake bastard burned it.” 

Sasuke shrugged. “He burned the fake one I made. The three we fought while you were asleep gave us the other one.” 

“I was unconscious, dick.” Naruto threw the stick his fish was on at Sasuke. 

As the two boys bickered, Ayame shared her plan with Sakura on how she would get back out. 

“I’ll just wait until I don’t feel anyone, and hop over the fence again. All good.” 

Sakura snorted. “Yeah...sounds easier said than done.” 

“I am gonna wait until you get to the tower, though, in case Dai--  _ Orochimaru  _ shows up again.” Ayame cast a glance at Sasuke. “Just in case.” 

“I’m fine.” Sasuke growled out, he and Naruto’s petty argument settled for the time being. 

Ayame was practically vibrating in a sudden surge of anger. “You are  _ not _ fine! I saw this, Sasuke. He’s trying to control you. You’re too smart to fall for this.” Sasuke attempted to stand up and walk away, but Ayame was on him in an instant. “Don’t you dare walk away from this!”

“Leave me alone.” When he turned around, his eyes were red and wild. 

Ayame left out a wry laugh. “I can do that, too, Sasuke.” A rush of chakra fueled wind blew around them as Ayame’s eyes went white, glowing a pale blue at the corners. “Your Sharingan doesn’t scare me.” 

Naruto and Sakura were up in an instant, putting themselves in between the two kekkei genkai. 

“Please, stop.” Sakura begged, grabbing Sasuke’s arm and pulling him back. Naruto did the same with Ayame, forcing her to turn her head toward him. 

White glowing eyes met Naruto before slowly fading back into green. “Sorry.” Ayame muttered. 

The last time the two kekkei genkai came face-to-face was on the training field. It ended with Kakashi grabbing them both by the collars and sending them flying in opposite directions. Sasuke was definitely stronger than Ayame. But what Ayame lacked in finesse, she nearly made up for in defense.

Sakura looked near tears as she glanced between Ayame and Sasuke. “Right now, we just need to head for the tower. The sooner we get there, the quicker this will be over.” 

Uncharacteristically, Naruto didn’t argue. Didn’t say much of anything, just began packing up what little they had. Ayame excused herself to go help him. 

“He’s not fine, is he?” Naruto asked when Ayame got close to him. “That thing on him, it’s bad.” Ayame just shook her head as an answer, Naruto sighed. “He won’t let us tell anyone until this exam is over.” 

“I know.” 

\--

As she said goodbye to the team, Ayame’s heart felt heavy. The tower loomed before them, and Ayame had a job of her own: to find Kakashi. Whether Sasuke liked it or not, Ayame was telling him about the mark. Her mind was already made up. 

Naruto kicked the dirt with his sandal, a nervous tick he had recently picked up around her. Ayame smiled and wrapped her arms around him. “Good luck.” 

“Thanks.” His voice was low as he answered. “I don’t know what’s next.” 

“Eh,” Ayame shrugged. “You’ll kick it’s ass, I’m sure.” 

Naruto gave her a sideways smile as he stepped back. “Of course! I have to become the Hokage!”

“There he is.” Ayame laughed. “There’s the Naruto I know.” 

“Are you coming?” Sakura yelled, making Naruto jump to attention. 

“Yeah!” He yelled back. Then, looking at Ayame, he said, “The future Hokage has to go.” 

“Good luck, future Hokage.” 

Naruto, reluctantly, turned away, walking toward the doors of the tower. Sakura gave him a knowing smile. As he stepped past her and Sasuke to open the doors, he could have sworn Sakura whispered “ _ Hokage-sama _ ” under her breath. 

The room they entered into was old and worn, cracks decorating the wall. A large sign hung on the far wall. While Sakura and Sasuke discussed the riddle written on the sign, Naruto took a look around. The place was barren, save for a small table in the corner, but even it was empty. He heard Sasuke open his pack, pulling out the two scrolls. He handed one each to Naruto and Sakura. With a deep breath, the two opened the scrolls.

\--

Ayame felt the chunin at the gates weave his way through some bushes to relieve himself. She took that opportunity to hop the fence and run. She was out of sight before the chunin finished. Searching the area, she found Kakashi’s aura close by. She pushed off, running full speed to the rooftop he was perched on. 

“Kakashi-sensei!” Ayame nearly tackled him when she got close enough. To his credit, Kakashi simply looked up from his book. “I have to talk to you. I did a thing, but it was a good thing, kind of. But, sensei, Sasuke’s in trouble and that guy from my village, his name isn’t Daitan, it’s Orochimaru--”

“Wait, slow down.” Kakashi sat up, the book dropped from his hand as he grabbed her shoulders. “Breathe. Did you just say Orochimaru?”

“I was walking toward the forest, just checking on them, ya know, and I felt his aura. So...I might have hopped the fence.” 

“Y-you hopped the fence and went into the chunin exams?” Kakashi’s one visible eye was wide. 

Ayame shrugged, trying for nonchalant. “But that’s not the point. The point is he bit Sasuke. Then a curse mark just like the ones from Minori formed. We thought he died, but he was okay. And he did something to Naruto’s stomach. Something about a fox. Naruto was unconscious for a long time, so was Sasuke.” She paused to catch her breath. 

Kakashi was trying hard to catch up, but he was only picking out bits and pieces of what she was saying. “We need to tell the Hokage.” 

“Yes!” Ayame nearly shouted. But then she dropped her head, as if in defeat. “Sasuke made me promise not to tell anyone until after the exam was over. They made it to the tower, though. Is it over?”

“Not quite.” Kakashi let go of her shoulders. “Depending on how many make it through, there may be one more fight.” He sighed, weighing his options. “Is the curse mark bothering him?”

“Yes. It made him stronger, though. Really fast. It puts these marks all over him. But when he’s not in that...mode or whatever, it will randomly give him sharp pains.” 

Before Kakashi could reply, a chunin landed in front of them. “Your team made it though, make your way to the tower.” He then disappeared. 

“That’s my que.” Kakashi stood up. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this. Go home, you can’t come with me this time. And  _ do not _ sneak in again.” 

With that, Kakashi left Ayame standing on a random rooftop alone. 

\--

With Iruka-sensei’s speech out of the way, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke made their way in the second set of doors. The other teams awaited them, all lined up neatly. The three took their places as Lord Hokage looked upon the Konoha ninja proudly. The sensei’s of the genin started teleporting in, including Kakashi, his eye crinkled up in a smile. He gave his team a thumbs up before standing in his place. 

As Hayate began speaking, Sasuke’s curse seal began acting up. Searing pain shot through him, radiating out from the nape of his neck. Instinctively, Sasuke grabbed at his shoulder, earning a look from Sakura. 

“We have to tell someone.” She whispered. “I can’t see you go through this in pain.” 

“Shut up, Sakura.” Sasuke turned to her, his eyes dark. “I am going through with this. There are people here I want to fight, people who will make me stronger.” 

“Don’t yell at Sakura.” Naruto spoke up, finally interjecting himself in this conversation. “She’s trying to help you.” 

“Naruto.” Sasuke turned to him. “You are one of the one’s I want to fight.”

“The preliminaries will begin.” Hayate announced, signifying the end of their discussion. “And now we will see who the first battle will be between.” 

As the board scrambled through the names, Naruto swallowed hard. He had wanted to fight Sasuke, too, but only in a fair battle. Not one where Sasuke was handicapped. It wasn’t a true fight unless they were both on equal ground. 

“Sasuke Uchiha vs Yoroi Akado.” Hayte’s voice rang out. The fear Naruto could literally  _ feel _ ripple through Sakura was palpable. It was too late, now. “The two on the screen, step forward. The rest of you, stand on the balcony and watch.” 

Naruto and Sakura slowly dragged themselves up the stairs. They saw Kakashi stop behind Sasuke and say something. Then he joined them on the balcony, also. 

“Before either of you think of a way to ask,” He said with a laugh, “Yes, Ayame did find me. I know about Sasuke. The Hokage knows, also. Everyone relax.” 

“Were you surprised?” Naruto asked. “That she snuck in?”

Kakashi laughed. “A little, I’ll admit.” 

Naruto was practically leaning over the railing once the match started. Sasuke struggled, that much was evident. With every move, you could see the effort he had to put behind it. All the while he kept grabbing his shoulder, wincing in pain. In the end, with a half-borrowed move, and his own flair, Sasuke won. But the toll it took on him was evident. Sasuke had nearly passed out if Kakashi hadn’t teleported behind him. Kakashi led him away, not staying to see the rest of the matches. If Naruto said he was a little miffed, it was an understatement. He huffed and crossed his arms. 

“I wish Ayame was here.” Sakura brought Naruto out of his reverie. “She always knows what to say, you know?”

Naruto did know. “Yeah...me too.” 

As Shino took his place across from the Sound ninja that made Sakura’s skin crawl, she had to look away. She had to think of something, anything, that would take her mind off the crack of bones as Sasuke broke both of his arms. 

She scrambled for something to say, and then remembered the hug she’d witnessed earlier. “So...you and Ayame...what’s that all about.” 

Naruto’s face was splotched pink. “No-nothing. We’re friends.” 

“Uh-huh.” Sakura didn’t look phased. “We are friends and you don’t hug me.”

“You would never let me.” 

It was said so honestly, so raw, that Sakura was taken back. Had she never allowed him? Did he ever ask? Her mind was thrown into times where Naruto had tried to make physical contact, only to have her yell at him. It was always timid, just a fleeting touch, but she never allowed it. 

“Naruto, I --” 

“Whoa, look at Shino’s bugs!” Naruto was practically hanging over the railing again. “That is so cool! Gross, but cool.” 

Sakura leaned on the railing with her forearms, the sudden realization of how she’s always treated the blonde laid out before her. 

Shino had won, and took his place back with his team, when Kakashi popped back in. 

“Yo.” 

Sakura pointed a finger at him. “No, not  _ yo _ ! How is Sasuke?”

“Is he okay?” Naruto asked, also worried about his friend and teammate.

“Yes, he’s fine. He’s resting in the infirmary.” Kakashi didn’t tell them there were ANBU surrounding him. The kids didn’t need that on their conscience.

Naruto, who is naturally excited about literally everything, was engrossed in the next match. The man with the bendy body and Kankuro. 

“Isn’t it cheating if you have two against one?”

Kakashi smiled at him. “Puppets are considered ninja tools.” 

“It would be the same as you using shuriken, Naruto.” Sakura added. 

When the board stopped spinning this time it stopped on Sakura and Ino. Both girls looked shaken to Naruto, but he just cheered Sakura on. Even if he didn’t quite understand why both girls got so heated. He wished, again, Ayame could be there to explain it. 

“Where is Ayame?” Naruto asked, not realizing he said it outloud. 

“I told her to stay at home. So she’s probably waiting not far from the forest.” 

Naruto just smirked. Knowing Ayame, she was probably waiting there, feeling for their auras. It made him smile, knowing she was probably there. She always said he was orange and yellow, that he was easy to pick out among a crowd. He wondered if anyone in this room was brighter to her than him. 

Then he realized what a weird thought that was and promptly wondered where it came from. 

He checked back into the fight in time to see Sakura and Ino knocking each other out. Kakashi and Asuma both went to grab their students and set them side by side. 

“They will wake up soon.” Kakashi had said with a knowing smile. 

\--

Ayame sat on the bank outside of the forest. The chunin patrolling gave her looks, but she was far enough away they didn’t say anything. She searched hard for their auras, but couldn’t find them. She was too far away from the tower, now, and too far away to see auras. Cursing, she wished her ability had greater range. She could sneak back in, that was always an option, but she chose not to. Kakashi would be angry, and she didn’t want him upset with her. 

Instead, she leaned back on the grass and looked at the clouds overhead. Her grandfather always said she wanted to know it all. She wanted to be in the center of everyone’s business. Of course, Ayame thought she’d grown out of that after he died. 

Suddenly a prickle of something pulled at her. Red on red, an ebb and flow of cherry and wine, faintly approached her.  _ Sasuke. _ The medical ninja pulled him on a cot, his body totally still in the jostle of their gait. Ayame raced to his side, not caring about the stern looks from the medical ninja. 

“Sasuke?”

“He’s out cold.” One of them said to her. “We are taking him to the hospital, but you cannot come. Stop by later.” 

“Is he…?”

“He will be fine. He’s exhausted, but he’s fine.” 

Ayame watched them until they were out of sight and she couldn’t see the red on red. She sat back down on the hill and waited. 

\--

Naruto’s name finally came up, and pitted him with Kiba. His body was a mix of relief at finally getting his turn, and nervous energy. Sasuke had defeated his opponent, Sakura had overcome herself, now was his turn. 

He cracked his knuckles as Kiba took his place in front of him. For all the bravado he showed, it was all to hide the nerves and want of being  _ seen _ . People cheered. He could vaguely hear Sakura yelling his name, yelling praises. He had the moment to show everyone what he’d learned, how strong he’d gotten. Again, the thought of how Ayame should be here entered his brain. Everyone always called him stupid, said he would never amount to anything. Ayame never said that. She always saw him. Here he was, finally being  _ seen _ by everyone and Kiba wouldn’t shut up. 

“This will be easy, Akamaru.” Kiba sat his puppy on the floor. “I can beat anyone who couldn’t even do a simple transformation jutsu in academy.” He dropped to all fours, summoning his chakra into one fast push, elbowing Naruto square in the stomach. 

Naruto hit the ground, sliding until he nearly hit the wall. He could hear Kiba gloating, but forced himself to stay calm. He could do this, he could beat Kiba. Slow, Naruto climbed to his feet. 

“What?” Kiba looked shocked. “How?”

Naruto gave a wry laugh. “I know your strength now.” His eyes widened as Kiba threw smoke bombs at him. The purple smoke plumed over him as Kiba began his assault from the shadows. Naruto tried to run, but Akamaru jumped at him, knocking him back into the smoke. 

If he could turn it around, use the smoke to his advantage... _ ah! _ Naruto flew through the hand signs, creating a clone and transforming that clone into Akamaru. Grabbing the actual puppy and hiding him, Naruto waited for the perfect moment. He kept perfectly still on the ground, Akamaru hiding under his jacket, and let the clone of Akamaru bite Kiba. 

It threw the dog ninja off, but not enough. Once Akamaru was free, the two of them combined into clones, coming at Naruto from all angles. Naruto was forced to play defense as the two assaulted him. They attempted to finish him off with a spinning technique, which did manage to send Naruto flying. He landed on the back of his neck, pain shooting out through his shoulders. 

“Well,” Kiba began as soon as his feet hit the floor. “That’s what I have to look forward to from the supposed future Hokage?” Naruto’s head snapped up, eyes wide and glaring. “You will never be anything, and you know it.” 

Naruto could hear Sakura cheering him on, could feel Kakashi watching him, and slowly climbed to his feet. “I am not what people say I am.” He growled out. “And I will prove it.”

Naruto’s eyes flashed red as he sprang forward, shadow clones fanning out around him. They surrounded Kiba, not giving him a chance to gain his footing. Orange clad legs and arms were flying, kicking and punching whatever they could find purchase on. With one final push, the real Naruto jumped up and landed a leg drop on Kiba’s head. 

As Kiba landed, hard, on the floor, the bystanders knew it was over. Hayate walked over to check Kiba before conceding, “The winner is Uzumaki Naruto.” 

It took all of two seconds before Naruto jumped up, fist pumping in the air. “I won!”

As soon as he was back up the stairs, Sakura was on him, smiling and praising him. “You did amazing, Naruto!”

Kakashi’s eye crinkled as he smiled. “Good job, kid.” Then, in a lower voice, he added, “Ayame would be proud.” Kakashi’s smile grew wider with how Naruto blushed. 

Naruto learned a lot during the exam. There were jutsu and kekkei genkai out there he’d never heard of. Including the Byakugan. 

“Is it like Ayame’s Chikaragan?” 

Kakashi shrugged. “Kind of, Naruto. The Byakugan is a very powerful bloodline from the Hyuga clan.” 

They listened as Neji ripped into Hinata, it being all Naruto could do to stay out of it. 

“Why is that Neji guy being such a dick?” 

Sakura nearly choked on her own saliva. “You’ve been hanging out with Ayame too much.” 

“There are two parts to the Hyuga family. The main family and the branch families. Hinata belongs to the main family, and Neji the branch family. You can understand how that would affect their relationship.” Kakashi explained, putting his hand on Naruto’s shoulder. “There’s a lot in this village you don’t know yet, but you will learn in time.” 

“But still,” Naruto started, “he doesn’t have to be so mean.” He decided at that moment Hinata was who he was cheering for.

Even though it looked like Hinata was holding her own, like she could maybe even win, Neji hit her square in the chest. She fell to the floor, blood dripping from her mouth. Naruto could hear Neji taunting here, calling her a failure, and yet Hinata still stood. She gave one final push, but, in the end Neji still had her. He was still stronger. The last time Neji knocked her down, Hinata just stayed down. Hayate called for the end of the match. 

Medics rushed in to take Hinata, leaving Neji to just saunter up the stairs. 

“I want to fight him.” Naruto said, his voice low. 

“Not right now.” Kakashi warned. “Maybe you will get your chance in the finals.”


	9. Chapter 9

“What are you doing out here?” Ayame startled awake, realizing she must have dozed off. A chunin was talking to her. The same one she had snuck into the forest on. “You’ve been out here for hours.” 

“Are the exams done yet?” 

The chunin snorted. “Nope. Still two more rounds, I think.”

“Rounds?” Ayame was confused. She thought getting to the tower was it. 

“Too many people made it through. So, they are weeding them out by having them fight.” After a beat, he added, “Is that why you’ve been out here? Waiting for a friend?” Ayame nodded. “Well, give it another half an hour, they might be done by then.” He began to walk away before stopping and glancing over his shoulder. “They don’t come back out through the forest. There’s a hidden tunnel. They come out by training field four.” 

“Seriously?” Ayame jumped up. “I...I would have been here all damn night and not known!” She began to run toward the training field, throwing a “Thank you!” over her shoulder as she ran. 

\--

Naruto wanted to run after Lee, to make sure he would be okay. He wanted to take Gaara by surprise and bust his face in. Instead, Kakashi held on to him. 

“There’s nothing more you can do, Naruto.” 

It didn’t make him feel any better. 

The final battle went quickly, unfortunately for Choji, and the Hokage had them all lining up. They had a month, then another set of battles. This time, he would take on Neji. Naruto couldn’t wait to wipe that smirk off the Hyuga’s face. 

Anko led them out of the tower, through an underground tunnel. The walk was silent, Sakura sulking by his side. She was worried about Sasuke, so was Naruto. 

“Are you going to the hospital?” Naruto whispered. 

“Yeah.” She wrung her hands together. “I want to see Lee, too.” 

Anko stopped by a large door, releasing a seal that kept it locked from the inside. The daylight was bright when the door opened, nearly blinding the occupants. They stepped outside, and Naruto was immediately tackled to the ground. 

“Naruto!” Ayame’s smile was blindingly bright. “Sakura!”

“How did you know where we would come out?” Anko looked angry, her hands on her hips. 

Ayame stood up, looking sheepish. She didn’t want to get the nice chunin in trouble, so she went for a different approach. “I can see auras. I followed theirs.” 

Anko glared at her, but eventually dropped it and walked away. 

“Did you see Sasuke?” Sakura honestly did look worried. 

Ayame sighed. “Yeah, for, like, two seconds. They were bringing him to the hospital. We can’t see him, though.”

“You saw them bring him out?”

“No,” Ayame amended. “They were carrying him from here, I think, to the hospital. They just happened to go near me. I felt him, that’s how I knew.” 

Naruto frowned. “Why can’t we see him?”

Ayame shrugged. She took in their appearances, all disheveled and dirty. There were bruises and scratches all over them both. They smelled like sweat and body odor. “You both need a shower and a nap.” 

Sakura snorted. “I know.” Then, with a sad look, she added, “I didn’t make it through.” 

“But, Sakura, you did awesome in your fight!” Naruto attempted to cheer her up. “You and Ino were evenly matched. 

“Thanks, Naruto.” Sakura smiled sheepishly. “You made it, though. You did amazing in your fight with Kiba.” 

Ayame was practically vibrating with excitement. “I wanna hear all about it!”

“I’m going home to get yelled at and take a shower. Naruto can tell you it all.” With that, Sakura walked away. 

“I’m starving.” Naruto grumbled, grabbing his stomach. Ayame laughed. “Can we get ramen?”

“Naruto...how do I put this...you smell.” When Naruto pouted, Ayame ruffled his hair. “And your hair is greasy. Go get a shower, then we can get ramen.” 

As they walked toward their apartments, Naruto filled Ayame in on everything that had happened in the tower. He tried to give her a rundown on each match, and the new jutsu he’d seen. 

“Hinata and her brother, cousin, whatever were fighting, but he was being a dick. He really hurt her, which, I know was the point, but he was just...I don’t know, viscious or something.” He paused for a second, gathering his thoughts. “She was always weird, but nice, ya know? She didn’t deserve that. And then that Gaara kid, I think he really hurt Bushy Brow. His sensei looked scared when they carried him out.” 

“What about  _ your _ match?” Ayame realized that, in all the stories, he never told her how he did.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. “I fought Kiba. I remember him from the academy, he always laughed at me. He brought his dog, which is just fine with everyone, I guess. It’s his family thing, the dogs are like tools to them.” He paused to see if Ayame understood him. 

“Yeah, they go with them in battle and stuff. He’s an Inuzuka? It’s their clan's ability.” 

“Whatever,” Naruto rolled his eyes. “I didn’t know. But, anyway, I did manage to beat him. It just took me a while, is all.” 

“But  _ how _ did you beat him?” Ayame tried to see his face, but he had it aimed toward the ground. “You usually always tell me about how you beat up Sasuke and stuff. Why is this different?”

“I used shadow clones, and made up a new move. Uzumaki Barrage.” Naruto’s face was tinted pink. 

“Uzumaki Barrage?” Ayame smiled. 

Naruto was quiet for a minute, wringing his hands together. “Can we stop by the hospital, just to see if they will tell us about Sasuke? I’m just...worried about him, is all.” 

Ayame nodded and grabbed his hand. “Yeah, I am, too.” 

They didn’t get a chance to even enter the hospital, Kakashi met them outside the doors. 

“No, you can’t visit Sasuke. Yes, he’s okay. No, he’s not awake. Any other questions?”

The two kids frowned. 

“Well...when can we get started on my training?” Naruto asked, a hopeful look in his eye. 

“I’ve found a trainer for you, Naruto. One that will definitely help you.” 

“Why can’t you do it, Kaka-sensei?” Naruto looked hurt, then he just looked pissed. “You’re training Sasuke, aren’t you? How is that fair?”

“He’s right, sensei,” Ayame chimed in. “it’s not really fair.” 

Kakashi rolled his eye. “Your trainer will be better than me, you’ll see. You’ll meet him in the morning, for now, go home and rest up.” Even Ayame looked miffed as the two headed toward the apartments once more. 

In an attempt to cheer Naruto up, Ayame tried to find something to tell him. She then remembered what a couple of the chunin were gossiping about while she laid on the hill. “Did you know one of the three legendary sannin are in Konoha? I didn’t hear which one, but it would be cool to meet them.”

“Aren’t they supposed to be really powerful?”

Ayame nodded. “Insanely powerful.” 

Naruto stopped in his tracks. “If we could find the one that’s here, maybe they will train me!” He didn’t wait for an answer, but he did get renewed energy as he walked to his apartment. 

\--

The next morning, a better-smelling Naruto emerged from his apartment. He hadn’t realized how tired he truly was until his freshly washed head hit the pillow. He woke up in a puddle of drool and with a crick in his neck. With his normal clothes dirty and tore, Naruto opted for just a plain shirt and shorts today. He was training, the clothes didn’t matter as long as they didn’t get in the way. 

He’d promised Ayame she could come with him, help him train. He’d knocked on her door, only to have the door crack open just far enough for her to grab his hand and pull him inside. 

“Breakfast of champions!” She presented him with a plate full of pancakes. “So you are ready for training today. Please tell me you like pancakes.” 

Naruto wasn’t used to people doing things for him. He wasn’t used to having someone care for his well-being, or someone touching him as often as Ayame did. She’d hold his hand, or touch his face, and he usually just shook it off. He didn’t want to get used to it so that when she stopped he wouldn’t miss it. Although he knew that was a lie, he would miss it immensely. 

This was different. This was her actually  _ wanting _ him to be happy and succeed. This was her actually  _ caring _ . He didn’t ask her to make him food. He didn’t ask her to surprise him. This was all  _ her _ . Naruto didn’t know what to do with it. 

“Naruto?” Ayame sat the plate down on her kitchen counter. “Honestly, if you don’t like pancakes, it’s okay. I can make you something else?”

He felt like he was going to cry. He didn’t want to. Instead, he gave her a wavering smile. “I’ve never had them.” 

Ayame’s eyes grew wide. “Are they not a thing here? In Minori we made them all the time.” She pulled Naruto toward the kitchen counter. “Hold on, you need butter and syrup. If this is your first time, we’re doing it right.” She smothered the pancakes in butter and syrup before handing him a fork, looking at him expectantly. 

The first bite was heaven. Naruto devoured the entire plate happily. “Those are amazing.” 

“My mom’s were better.” Ayame said with a smile. “That’s how I eat them, with butter and syrup. Mom used to put strawberries and whipped cream on them. Dad just drowned them in syrup.” She had a wistful look on her face. “I have to make you waffles, some day. Once I find a waffle maker, that is.” 

Naruto was practically licking the plate clean. “Did you make more?” Ayame just laughed and deposited another stack on his plate. “Thank you.” He proceeded to drown them in syrup.

\--

The trainer Kakashi had lined up for Naruto was Ebisu, the private trainer whom the Third Hokage has reserved for his grandson, Konohamaru. Ayame realized, quickly, that they apparently knew each other and did not like each other. The glare Naruto sent his way said a lot. 

“You have no chakra control,” Ebisu told Naruto, “which is why you are not as strong as Sasuke.” 

Naruto was fuming. 

They wound up by the hot springs, Ayame sat on the bridge, letting her feet dangle over the hot water. 

“Why are we here?”

“I’m going to teach you how to walk on the water.” Ebisu slowly stepped onto the hot water, walking calmly to the middle. It made Naruto’s eyes light up. Ayame chose not to remind Naruto she could already do that.

After the first couple of failures, Naruto was slowly getting the hang of it. 

“It’s nothing like climbing the tree.” He complained, but was at least standing up straight.

Ayame pulled a knee up to rest her chin on. “Eh, try walking on the wind, then talk to me about difficult.” 

Ebisu stared at her, shocked. “Walking on the wind? Impossible.” 

She laughed. “You never met my grandfather.” 

While Naruto continued to remain standing, if only barely, Ebisu noticed a man with long white hair sitting in front of the girls bath. 

“Excuse me.” He walked toward the man, who was peeking without care to who saw him. “I don’t take kindly to perverts in this village.” 

It took all of two seconds for the man to summon a toad and knock Ebisu to the ground. And another two seconds for Naruto’s eyes to light up. 

“Hey! Hey! Who are you?” Naruto, with his wet clothes and overheated skin, ran toward the man. “What do you have a frog for?”

Ayame jumped up, running beside Naruto. “I know you, don’t I?”

The white haired man let the toad go in a puff of smoke. “I’m a writer. You may know me from my hit series!” He thrust a book at them, the same one Kakashi always read when he was  _ supposed _ to be training them. 

“That’s Kaka-sensei’s book.” Naruto almost looked offended. “You wrote that?”

“Oh, great.” Ayame rolled her eyes. “And now you’re here, peeking in the girls bath, for, what? Research?”

The man just rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, yeah, pretty much.” 

“Let’s go, Naruto. When the girls figure it out, you won’t want to be here to see it.” 

“But,” Naruto looked between Ayame and the man. “You knocked Ebisu out with one move. He’s my trainer! What do I do about my training now?”

“The walking on water thing?” The man asked, rubbing his chin. “That’s not hard to do.”

“Can you do it?”

The man scoffed. “Of course I can.” 

“Train me!” Naruto’s yell echoed around them. 

The man laughed. “Um, no.” And proceeded to jump away. 

Naruto gave chase after him, and Ayame followed. She knew him, he looked so familiar. But she just couldn’t place him, or the blue and yellow aura that radiated off of him. 

When Naruto took a wrong turn, Ayame grabbed his wrist and pulled him the correct way. “I can feel his aura, it’s over here.” 

“Oh yeah, that’s a thing you can do.” He followed behind her as she followed his blue and yellow into the woods. 

They found him by a creek, trying to hide. Naruto chased him behind a log as the man pretended to be a substitution jutsu. Ayame wasn’t fooled. His aura was still there. 

“Yeah, we know you’re here, you old pervert.” Ayame crossed her arms, staring at the tanuki he used for a substitution. “I can see your aura.” 

“Come on, Ero-sennin!” Naruto walked over and kicked the tanuki, which turned back into the old man. 

“Who are you two calling a pervert?” He jumped up. “I’ll have you know I’m the great Jiraiya, Mountain Sage!” 

“Jiraiya?” Ayame felt like someone slapped her. “You’re grandpa’s friend?”

Jiraiya just looked at her before realization hit him. “You’re Jakkon’s granddaughter, aren’t you?”

“Yeah!” Ayame’s face lit up. “I used to call you Ya-ya.” 

Naruto was looking between them, confused. “You know each other?”

“I was friends with her grandfather. He was a powerful shinobi who had almost mastered wind nature.” Jiraiya smiled fondly at her. “I’m glad you found your way to Konoha.”

Ayame smirked. “Actually, he found me.” She hooked a thumb in Naruto’s direction. 

“This is great and all,” Naruto began, “but will you please train me?”

Jiraiya had begun to complain, to refuse, but Ayame hit him with the most powerful puppy dog eyes he had ever seen. 

“Please, Ya-ya?”

Well, he was helpless against  _ that _ . 

“...Fine.” 

As Jiraiya watched Naruto try, and fail, at standing on the water, Ayame stood beside him. She looked pensive, Jiraiya noted. Like she wanted to say something, but was afraid of the answer. Instead, she just stood silently. 

“You think too loud.” He kept his voice low so Naruto didn’t hear.

Ayame bit her lip, but didn’t respond right away. She took a deep breath. “Grandpa always told me I could trust you. I can...I can sense  _ something _ in Naruto, but I’m not sure what it is.”

“The Kyuubi.” It was said so low, Ayame wasn’t sure if it wasn’t just the wind. 

Before she could answer, Naruto stomped back on the ground and began removing his clothes. Ayame yelped, turning around. Her face was nearly the color of her hair. 

“Oh, let it go.” Jiraiya laughed. “He still has his boxers on.” 

Ayame did turn around, but kept her line of vision on Naruto’s feet, or his face, nowhere in between. 

Suddenly, Jiraiya leaned forward, hands on his knees. “What was that? Naruto, come here.” Naruto tripped in the water before finding his footing on the ground. He made a complaint, but Jiraiya silenced it. “Gather your chakra.” 

This time, Jiraiya nodded towards his stomach, making Ayame take notice of the black ink that faded into the skin of Naruto’s stomach. Ayame gasped before holding her hand over her mouth. Jiraiya knelt in front of him only for the ink to change, another ring surrounding the first. He turned to Ayame and winked before his blue-tipped fingers plunged into Naruto’s stomach. The kid left out a grunt as he went flying backward. 

“What was that?” Naruto asked, holding his stomach. 

“Pressure points for relaxation,” The lie slipping off his tongue too easily. “Try again.” He motioned toward the water. 

Still holding his stomach, Naruto made his way back to the water, stepping gently. When the first step took hold, Naruto was emboldened to take another. And another. And another. Finally he was in the middle of the creek, his smile beaming. Ayame was proud of him, she ran out onto the water to celebrate with him. 

“Wait...you can already do this?” Naruto looked shocked. 

“Um...yeah. Grandpa taught me how.” 

Naruto just shrugged and dropped his head. “Am I the last to learn this?”

“Aw, Naruto. I don’t think Sasuke can do it.” 

His head snapped up, a grin ghosting his lips. “That’s right!”

“Out of the water, kids.” Jiraiya yelled from the bank. “Training is over for today.” 

“But I didn’t do anything!” Naruto complained, running to the bank. “Teach me something else!”

“Tomorrow.” Jiraiya messed Naruto’s hair. “Come back here and we will see what else you can do.” 

The two kids walked home slowly, Naruto rambling about what he had learned. Ayame just listened, happy Naruto found someone to train him, someone who wasn’t condescending. Jiraiya was just a pervert. At least he didn’t make Naruto feel worthless, or constantly point out his faults in relation with his rival. Ayame was so lost in thought, she missed half of what Naruto was talking about. When she tuned back in, he was talking about what Ero-sennin could possibly teach him the next day. Ayame laughed at the nickname everytime he said it. 

“My grandpa would have loved the nickname you gave him.” Ayame’s smile was wistful. “He always called Jiraiya a letcher.”

“What’s that mean?” Naruto had his hands behind his head as he walked. 

“Another word for pervert. You know how old people speak is weird.” 

They both laughed at that. 

When they arrived at the apartment, Ayame cooked more pancakes, at Naruto’s request, while he took a shower. The pillow and blanket fort got resurrected as they ate heavily syruped pancakes by sunset. 

As Ayame lay there, listening to Naruto snore and talk in his sleep, her mind drifted back to the mark on Naruto’s stomach. Fuuinjutsu was never her thing. It was too complicated, too many variables. One thing wrong and the whole seal could blow up in your face, sometimes literally. But she did recognize a seal when she saw it. She knew it was intricate, made to keep something  _ in. _ Ayame reached over and slid Naruto’s shirt up. His stomach was mark free now. Did it only do that when he gathered his chakra? But why? Jiraiya had whispered about the Kyuubi, but that couldn’t be true, could it? Was Naruto actually a jinchuriki?

Ayame rolled onto her back, arm bent behind her head. It would explain a lot. It would explain the red tendrils amidst his aura, the way his aura went nearly full red at the chunin exams. Naruto snorted in his sleep, shifting his body until he was on his side. Ayame let a smirk play on her face as she watched him whisper to his pillow. Something about being the best Hokage ever. Not for the first time Ayame wondered how anyone could possibly hate this kid. With a sigh, she reached out and brushed a piece of hair out of Naruto’s eye. Naruto didn’t even move, still drooling a pool of saliva on his pillow. 

Ayame wondered when that became endearing to her.

\--

“Ayame, hurry up!” Naruto was banging on her apartment door. He’d left to get dressed, but Ayame was still stuck in her head. Something about what Sakura had told her at the chunin exams began nagging at her. Something about Orochimaru punching Naruto in the stomach and then Jiraiya doing the same thing bothered her. How many people in the village knew? How many of them never told Naruto what was going on? 

“I’ll...I’ll be right there.” She yelled, to placate Naruto from breaking her door off the hinges. 

Her mind was still a tangled mess when they had reached the clearing by the creek. Jiraiya was already there, peeking through the bushes at some girls playing in the waterfall. 

“You’re a pervert.” Ayame muttered. 

Naruto, however, had no qualms about exclaiming his distaste for what Jiraiya was doing. “Ero-sennin, stop staring at those girls! You are supposed to be training me!”

The girls heard Naruto and immediately began screaming, running toward the path. Jiraiya rounded on Naruto, fuming. 

“I was doing research, kid.” 

“No you weren’t.” Naruto crossed his arms and pouted. “You were being a dirty old man. What’s my training today?” Naruto had a one-track mind when it came to his training. 

“Fine.” Jiraiya huffed out. “I want to see if you can summon. It takes a lot of chakra, so you really have to concentrate.” Ayame stood next to Naruto, eager to see it happen. He rolled out a scroll, explaining to Naruto what was expected of him. 

The first time Naruto tried, a tadpole appeared in a puff of smoke. The same tadpole appeared several times after, also. Jiraiya’s eye twitches every time the underdeveloped amphibian appears. Finally he had enough. 

“Naruto, just stop. You’re pathetic.” 

Ayame was ready to yell when the smoke cleared and another tadpole lay there, twitching on the rocks. “See!” Naruto looked so excited. “See! This one is different. It has rear legs!” Ayame and Jiraiya shared looks before they both started laughing. Naruto pouted. 

Once Jiraiya calmed down and apologized to Naruto, the old man began trying to explain. “Naruto, do you ever feel like you have two different types of chakra inside you?”

Naruto scratched his chin. “Yeah. I mean, my normal chakra feels like it’s blue. But then there’s this other chakra that comes out when I’m in trouble. It feels red.”

Jiraiya nodded. “Can you pull it out at will?” Naruto shook his head. “Okay, I need you to expel all of your normal blue chakra, can you do that?”

Naruto’s eyes lit up and he summoned a clearing full of clones. And the Uzumaki Battle Royale began. 

As Ayame and Jiraiya sat under an umbrella Jiraiya pulled from gods knows where, she decided now is as good a time as any to talk about what was on her mind. 

“Naruto is a jinchuriki.” Ayame didn’t ask a question, she felt she already knew the answer. 

Jiraiya was quiet for a long time, scratching his chin. “Seeing as how that wasn’t a question, you’re just looking for affirmation.” 

“That’s a real fancy way of saying yes.” 

Jiraiya snorted. “Yes. Naruto has the nine tails inside of him.”

“And, what? No one thought that was important to tell him?” Ayame could feel a prickle of anger as she remembered how he was treated when in public. How he doesn’t want to go to the markets because of what the people say. About how he only has particular places he goes where they don’t look at him like  _ that _ , like he’s  _ dirty _ .

Silence loomed between them before Jiraiya spoke again. When he did, it was soft. “We were trying to protect him.”

It was Ayame’s turn to snort. “You all did one hell of a job.” 

The next day, she didn’t go with Naruto to see Jiraiya. She didn’t go for a few days, actually. Instead, she spent time with Sakura and Ino. She even found Kakashi and Sasuke, far out of the village, training hard. She watched as Sasuke walked across the water in a small pond beside them. His chakra control faltered slightly. Guess Naruto wasn’t the last to learn, after all. 

When she finally felt calmed down enough to face Jiraiya, and went looking for them, it was Naruto who found her first. He looked nervous, almost embarrassed. 

“I -- um, Ayame, can I -- I mean…” 

Ayame was just confused. “Naruto, what’s going on? Are you okay?”

At first he didn’t answer. Then when he did it was all in a rush. “ _ CanIhaveahugit’sfortraining _ .” 

Ayame blinked. Then blinked again. “A hug?”

“Ero-sennin said it’s for training, since I still can’t summon a  _ real frog _ .” Naruto put ‘real frog’ in air quotes. Ayame laughed, but pulled Naruto in for a hug. 

“It’s a toad, Naruto. You’re summoning a toad. Not a frog. I’d imagine it would be pissed off if you called it a frog.” When she pulled back, Naruto’s cheeks were dusted pink. 

“Thank you.” He practically whispered. “Now to find that old pervert.” 

He didn’t have to look hard, Jiraiya walked around the fence they were standing against, smiling. “And, now for the final part of your training.” He began walking away before calling over his shoulder, “Ayame, are you coming?”

They were far out of the village, into the thick woods that surrounded the walls. Ayame had never been this far, and by the look on Naruto’s face, he hadn’t either. Jiraiya suddenly stopped, Naruto running into the scroll hanging off his back. 

“What’s the big deal?” Naruto rubbed his stomach where the scroll hit him. 

“Have you done everything you’ve wanted to do today?” Jiraiya asked. “You’re all done, then?” Naruto just nodded, looking confused. “Then it’s time for you to find that red chakra.” He flicked Naruto’s headband, throwing the blonde boy, head first, into a large chasm. 

Amidst the wind whipping around his head as he fell, Naruto heard Ayame scream. He tried to use chakra to adhere to the spikes on the sides, but to no avail. The rocks were slippery from the waterfall nearby. The realization hit him: he would honestly die if he didn’t do something soon. 

He felt himself hit the wet ground, but not nearly as hard as he should have. When Naruto chanced to open his eyes, he was standing in an underground tunnel, the ground holding a couple inches of water. He could feel a powerful chakra flowing from nearby. Naruto slowly trudged through the soaked hallway, following the powerful red chakra. Then he came face to face with what produces that chakra. 

“Come closer, brat.” A snarling mouth and red eyes appeared before him, making Naruto’s eyes widen. Something pulled Naruto forward as the red eyes pierced through him, looking inside of him. 

Long talons thrust between the bars, coming inches from Naruto’s face. He screamed and jumped back. 

“I’ll lend you my power, but only because I don’t want my vessel to die.” 

Naruto was thrust back out into the chasm, still falling. The red chakra surrounded him as he bit his finger and quickly formed the seals. This time, when he attempted his summon, a large portion of red chakra flowed out of him. Then he was on top of the biggest toad he had ever seen. 


	10. Chapter 10

Ayame screamed, running toward the edge of the chasm before stopping dead in her tracks. She quickly threw out a force field, but she wasn’t quick enough to catch him. Her barrier hovered uselessly in the center of the chasm. 

She turned on Jiraiya, her eyes white and glowing pale blue at the edges. Jiraiya took a step back, realizing he may have underestimated the situation here. 

“And that is the Chikaragan.” Jiraiya mumbled. He had the sense to attempt a jutsu, but Ayame was faster in this state. She reached out, making a grabbing motion in the air. Jiraiya could feel a pressure at his throat, and then could feel his airway closing. He gasped, grabbing at his throat in an attempt to remove whatever was there. “Ayame. He will be fine.” He struggled to talk.

“You killed him!” Her voice had changed. It was breathier, carried with the powerful wind she controlled. 

“No!” He tried to speak again. 

Then they heard something scraping at the walls of the chasm. Ayame dropped her hands and turned, only to see a huge toad holding onto the walls, Naruto safely perched on top. With the pressure off of his windpipe, Jiraiya heaved in a breath. 

It wasn’t controlled. The Chikaragan came out in times of great emotion, but it wasn’t controlled. Ayame could have honestly hurt him, maybe even kill him. 

Jiraiya collected himself enough to walk up behind the young girl, putting a hand on her shoulder. “See, he’s fine.” 

“Why?” Her breathing was heavy, the heavy emotions taking a physical toll on her. 

“He can only find his red chakra when he’s in danger. It protects him.” Jiraiya squeezed her shoulder. “I knew the Kyuubi would help him.” 

“You knew, huh?” Ayame turned her head, her eyes flashing white. 

Jiraiya just gave an uneasy laugh. 

\--

Naruto didn’t know what to expect when Gamabunta began the forceful expulsion of him, but nearly drowning under water wasn’t it. Didn’t Ayame say these were toads? Did toads go into the water? He barely was able to hold his breath when the huge toad blasted out of the water again. 

It was nearing sunset, and Naruto could feel his chakra draining. He was using everything he had, but he would stay on top of this huge toad as if his life depended on it. And, as Gamabunta jumped higher than the mountain behind them, Naruto had a grim thought that yeah his life did depend on it. 

Ayame and Jiraiya sat underneath a tree, Ayame with her knees up to her chest. 

“I...I’m sorry.” She hugged her knees tighter to her chest. “I could have ki --” She couldn’t even form the words. 

Jiraiya just messed her hair. “No worries. I really should have explained what I was doing. I did just kind of thrust that on you.” He took a second, watching as Gamabunta resembled a bucking bronco, before speaking again. “You can’t control it, can you?”

Ayame shook her head. “And I hurt people when I use it.”

“Well,” Jiraiya clapped his hands together. “I guess we will have to work on that, won’t we?”

Gamabunta jumped one last time, clean over their heads, to the valley behind them. Naruto nearly fell, but his shadow clones kept him steady. How he still had chakra left, neither Ayame or Jiraiya knew, they just held their breath that the huge toad was done. When Naruto slowly fell backwards, Ayame threw her hands out to catch him, but Jiraiya stopped her. Gamabunta stuck his tongue out and caught the falling blonde. 

“Where’s he taking him?” Ayame asked, standing up. 

Jiraiya smiled. “The hospital, I’d imagine. Pretty sure the kid has chakra exhaustion.” 

\--

It took three days for Naruto to wake up, and he was in a state when he did. 

“Calm down, Naruto.” Shikamaru stood there, hands on his hips, as he shook his head in disbelief. “You were out for three days, how do you have this much energy?”

“The final round is tomorrow, Shikamaru! To-mor-row!”

When the door opened, and Ayame strolled in with a cup of ramen in hand, Shikamaru gave a sigh of relief. 

“Please, talk your boyfriend down.” 

Naruto’s eyes widened, but Ayame just laughed and handed the blonde the ramen. “Breathe, Naruto. Everything is alright. Eat your ramen. Teuchi said hello, by the way.” 

“Should he have ramen right after waking up?” Shikamaru asked, scratching the side of his head. 

“He’s an addict.” Ayame answered, stone faced. “He detoxes if he hasn’t had it every four hours.” 

They both looked at each other and began laughing. Naruto just glared over the carton. 

“Ha. Ha.” 

While watching Naruto sleep, Ayame kept a vigil by his side. Then Shikamaru came in. He was nice, a straight talker. He reminded Ayame of her grandfather, especially in the way he played shogi. Ayame tried, no one could deny that, but she was terrible at shogi. It became easier for her to watch Shikamaru play by himself then keep holding him back. Other than Sakura and Ino, Shikamaru was the next friend she’d made outside of Team 7. He had taken her to meet Choji, too, who was apparently in there for overeating barbeque pork. Ayame wasn’t sure she fully understood, but Choji was nice to her and kept blushing. 

Sakura came by, but seemed only interested in where Sasuke was and how Lee was doing. She only stopped in to see Naruto once, which miffed Ayame. They were teammates, she should really be more concerned then she was. It pissed her off enough that Ayame refused to tell Sakura she knew where Sasuke was. She found him easily a week prior, by following his aura. Everyone always seemed to forget she had that ability. 

Currently, Naruto slurped at his ramen and nodded along with whatever Shikamaru was saying. Ayame felt something tickle the back of her mind, a pull toward another room. It must have looked like she zoned out, staring at the wall, by the way Naruto called out to her. 

“Ayame? You okay?” She turned to face him, but he saw through her fake smile. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure.” She faced the wall again, looking through it. She’d never felt an aura in black before. Even Orochimaru’s wasn’t, and he destroyed a village. This aura was blood red with black tendrils of granular smoke. It was thick, suffocating. “I can sense...something. Something dark.”

Naruto’s now empty ramen container hit the garbage can as he stood up. “Well, let’s find it, then.”

“Um, what?” Shikamaru stood also, not sure what was going on. He did follow the other two out the door, Ayame leading the way. 

They stopped outside Lee’s hospital room, the eerie feeling so strong it was palpable in the hallway. Within seconds of opening the door, Shikamaru had his shadow stretched out, wrapping around Gaara’s. Gaara was leaning over the bed, Lee surrounded by sand. Ayame had heard about him, but hadn’t seen him in person. 

Naruto pushed himself in the room, punching Gaara in the face. Ayame was surprised when Shikamaru’s head whipped around with the force. 

“Damn it, Naruto, I feel what he feels!”

“Oh,” Naruto looked sheepish, “Sorry.” 

The standoff was tense, Naruto and Shikamaru glaring down Gaara. Ayame stood back, ready to support if she needed to. But it seemed Shikamaru’s shadow possession was holding the Sand ninja still. 

“Why are you doing this?” Naruto asked, his bangs bobbing as he talked. “Didn’t you do enough damage?”

Gaara was quiet, save for his labored breathing. From this close, Ayame could see the dark bags under his bloodshot eyes. The crudely tattooed symbol for love on his forehead felt like it was mocking them as Gaara growled out he wanted to kill. 

“I have a monster inside of me. I only feel alive when I kill.”

Naruto churned the words over in his head. Was Gaara’s monster the same as his? Did Gaara have a demon residing in him, also? It would be the first person he’d met who would understand the loneliness, the emptiness, at having a monster stuck inside them. What was different between them was, Naruto’s monster didn’t tell him to kill. Naruto didn’t have to kill to be alive. “I have a monster inside me, too --”

Shikamaru hushed him. “Don’t antagonize him!”

Ayame just stared at Naruto. Did he know? Did something happen before he ended up in the hospital that he finally found out about the Kyuubi? Shikamaru looked shaken, but was trying to hide it. His pale blue aura quaked around him. The red in Gaara’s aura pulsed as the black tried to swallow it. Gaara looked like he was in pain as the sand swarmed up around him. 

Lee, who was unconscious and unaware throughout this entire ordeal, was slowly engulfed in chakra-infused sand. Ayame moved forward, hands itching to do something while Naruto stepped back. He could feel Gaara’s pain, could feel the hatred coming off him in waves. 

“What’s going on in here?” Guy appeared in the doorway, a beacon of salvation. “The finals are tomorrow, don’t start early.”

The sand from around Lee slowly dissipated as Gaara stalked from the room. 

It was hours later, while the pillow and blanket fort was assembled in Naruto’s apartment and he tossed and turned, that what he felt hit him in the gut. Gaara grew up hated and feared, like Naruto. But, unlike Naruto, he never had anybody to ease the pain. As Ayame laid there, her breathing slow and even, Naruto realized Gaara never had  _ this _ . He felt his heart squeeze, empathy clinging onto him cold and heavy like a wet blanket. As if the nerves weren’t enough, now Gaara would also be keeping him up all night.

\--

Naruto was a bundle of nerves as he and Ayame headed for the arena. His hands shook and he walked so slow. Ayame couldn’t think of anything to say, anything that would make this easier on him. Instead, she slipped her hand in his and squeezed. The shaking subsided slightly. It seemed the closer they got to the arena, the slower Naruto walked, however. 

“The first fight is that Hyuga kid.” A voice came from their left, a middle-aged man walking toward the area, a fighter pamphlet in his hand. 

“Oh yeah? Well then they are starting off with the best match.” An elderly man walking beside him peeked over the first guy's shoulder, looking at the paper. “Whoever he’s up against might as well drop out now.” 

Naruto nearly tripped. Ayame just squeezed his hand tighter and pulled him forward, out of earshot of the two men. 

“Don’t listen to them.” Ayame’s tone was reassuring. “The future Hokage doesn’t give up so easily.” 

Naruto gave a halfhearted smile. “Yeah, I guess.” 

They made it to the front of the arena, two chunin guarding the entrance. 

“Participants this way.” One pointed to the left. 

Ayame, in a sudden rush of worry for her best friend, grabbed him in a tight hug. “Good luck, Naruto. You’ll kick ass, I believe in you.” 

Naruto returned the hug, giving her a wave of his hand as he jogged off. Ayame walked up the stairs to find Sakura and Ino fighting over which seat to choose. She walked over and slung her arm around Sakura’s shoulder. 

“Hey, Ayame.” Sakura smiled. “So, he’s arrived?”

“Nervous as hell, but he’s here.” 

Ino laughed. “Shikamaru is nervous, too, not that he will tell anyone.” 

They took the seats in front of them, Ino’s chosen spot, and waited for the match to start. One startling thing was the lack of Sasuke on that field. 

“Where’s Sasuke?” Sakura had her hands clasped in front of her. Ayame struggled to find him, but she couldn’t quite find his aura from where she was. 

“Sakura, I know you’re worried about Sasuke, but Naruto is part of your team, too. You should cheer him on.” Ino lectured, Ayame just nodded along. 

“He would appreciate it.” 

Sakura sheepishly looked at Ayame. “Y-yeah, you’re right.” 

After Lord Hokage gave his speech, and the other contestants left the area, the match began. At first, Naruto and Neji just stared each other down, sizing the other up. Then, with a gust of wind, Naruto sprang into action. He remembered Neji and Hinata’s match, the way Neji fought against your chakra points, and tried to avoid that. He threw shadow clone after shadow clone at Neji, failing to hit him each time. 

Ayame and Sakura were on the edge of their seats, calling out praise and encouragement. Ayame fought to keep her hands at her side, less she accidentally sent out a force field. 

In between rounds of shadow clones, Neji slowly revealed his history. The Hyuga’s had a main family and branch families. The idea confounded Naruto, and sounded like a stupid idea to Ayame, too. To segregate people based entirely on which order they were born in would just breed hatred, much like it did to Neji. He talked about destiny and how Naruto was destined to lose to him. 

Neji singled out the real Naruto among the dozen of clones and pushed the chakra points until Naruto could barely stand. 

“I don’t know the extent of what you’ve been through,” Naruto began, wavering on his feet, “but don’t talk about what my destiny is.” 

Naruto could feel the chakra fading inside him, unable to pull it to the surface. Neji talked more about him being a failure, about destiny and fate being what determined your standing in life. Naruto didn’t want to hear that. He didn’t believe that destiny couldn’t be changed by sheer will power alone. 

“Your 64 chakra points have been closed.” Neji smirked. “How can you defeat me now?”

Naruto attempted to pull his blue chakra, until he realized he couldn’t feel it at all. It was like when he used it all up during the training with Ero-sennin. 

_ Oh. _

Naruto pulled at his chakra until he could feel the red chakra bubble up inside him. He gathered it all for one final push. 

“Didn’t I tell you it’s futile?” Neji mocked him. 

Naruto just smirked, pulling at his chakra harder. It whipped around him in tendrils that twisted and flickered like fire. He felt faster, powerful. Springing off the ground with renewed energy, Naruto ran at Neji. They met together in the middle, power circling each of them. With an explosion of chakra, Neji’s rotation expels and blocks incoming chakra. But Naruto’s chakra was just as strong. The fight ended with Naruto bursting from underground, knocking Neji up and back. He landed with a thud, not able to move as Naruto stood over him. 

“I don’t know what all this is about,” Naruto was breathing heavily, bleeding from his mouth and many other places. “But I will change it.” 

The crowd was deathly silent until Genma announced Naruto as the winner. Then the arena erupted in cheers and applause. Sakura stood and cheered, thrusting a fist in the air. Ayame practically hung over the railing as she cheered. 

Naruto looked up, finding familiar faces in the crowd, a million watt smile on his face. 

After ducking back up the stairs, away from the screaming crowd, he was met by red hair and piercing green eyes. 

“Naruto!” Ayame yelled, crashing into him. “You did amazing! I’m so proud of you!” The hug she caught him in was so tight it edged on painful. 

It felt great, to have this after such a stressful fight. It felt great to have this at any point in his life, honestly. He’d gone twelve years without ever feeling what it was like to be loved. The last few months gave him a whole new appreciation for what he had missed. It was like Ayame just knew and tried to make up for it in a short period of time. 

“I did it.” He whispered. “I actually won.” 

Ayame pulled back far enough to look into his eyes. “I knew you would.” She looked so sincere, as if the thought of him losing never crossed her mind. “And whatever happens in the next match, you will do amazing in that one, too.”

A medic broke the moment, asking to take a look at Naruto. They ushered Ayame back up the steps before they took stock in Naruto’s minimal injuries. Most of them were healed already. Within minutes he was standing beside Shikamaru, who was gushing over his victory. 

When Ayame took her seat, Sakura and Ino were whispering to each other. 

“What did I miss?”

“Oh,” Sakura practically bounced in her seat. “They are postponing Sasuke’s match, so he’s not disqualified.” 

Ayame smiled. “Awesome! Although I do wish he would hurry his ass up.” She tried to find his aura again, but to no avail. 

Shikamaru’s match proved to be quite interesting, especially since it started off with Naruto pushing the poor kid off the balcony. Ayame always found the Nara clan’s ability fascinating. Her grandfather told her about them one rainy night as a way to drive off the thunderstorms scaring a fragile three year old to tears. He weaved a tale of the brave Nara clan hiding in the shadows, using their ninja art to incapacitate the enemy. She almost didn’t believe Shikamaru was part of that clan when she met him in the hospital. He wasn’t the brave Nara from her grandfather’s stories. The boy she met was aloof and lazy. 

Choji ambled toward them, taking a seat beside Ino. He began furiously munching on potato chips as he watched the match. 

Shikamaru had the Sand ninja at his feet. 

And then he gave up. 

From where she was sat, Ayame heard Naruto scream profanities at Shikamaru. Ayame started laughing as Ino took this revelation as if someone slapped her. Sakura just looked like she ate a lemon. Choji laughed and said “Shikamaru is Shikamaru.” 

Ayame watched as Naruto jumped from his balcony, landing next to a stretching Shikamaru. With his mouth moving a mile a minute, Naruto told Shikamaru off. 

“They are giving a ten minute delay so the Uchiha can show up.” 

Sakura’s head snapped up, looking in the direction of the random voice who talked. Then her eyes met Ayame’s. “Ten minutes…”

Again, Ayame attempted to find his aura, but it was useless. There were too many unfamiliar people around, all the auras were blending together in a hazy rainbow. The only one that stood out was Naruto’s, but he was always the brightest to her. 

As the time ticked down, Sakura became more withdrawn, her knees hugged to her chest. She was worried about Sasuke, so was Ayame. There had to be something she could do, some way to reach out. If the Chikaragan was worth anything, she better learn to control it. 

Ayame closed her eyes, breathing slowly. Picking out particular colors in a mish-mash of a rainbow is difficult. Cherry red and wine red, pushing and pulling like the ocean. If only she could pinpoint where they are and get rid of the rest. She tried to sift through the colors, but it was like pulling out singular grains of sand. All she was getting was a headache. Something nagged at the back of her brain, like a fly buzzing in her ear. She could feel something…

Then, in a swirl of leaves, they appeared. Kakashi and Sasuke standing back to back. 

A rush of relief went through Ayame and Sakura. 

Naruto gasped. He was here, finally. 

“Your match,” Sasuke began. “Did you win?”

“Yeah. You better win. I want to fight you, too.” 

Ayame watched as Naruto and Shikamaru finally left the grounds. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm the rush of colors assaulting her vision. In Minori, she could tune them out, dull them, but not here. There were too many, and they were unfamiliar. With her eyes closed, however, she could pick one aura and focus on it. The brightest one to block out the others. She grabbed at the orange and yellow flames and clung to them. The other colors dulled to a pastel background as she held onto Naruto’s aura like a lifeline. She watched as the red tendrils of the Kyuubi weaved in and around the flames, almost dancing with them. It was mesmerizing. 

“The match is starting!” 

Ayame jumped at Sakura’s words, the flood of colors like a smack across the face. She fought them to the back so she could focus on the match, pulling at Sakura’s soft pink and beige as a focus point. It helped her focus on the battleground where Sasuke and Gaara stood. 

From the first move, Sasuke was different. He usually had fluidity and grace to his movements, but now it was refined. The rough edges smoothed out. His hair was longer, bangs hanging past his chin. He stood in Lee’s taijutsu pose, which confused everyone who had ever seen him fight. 

Kakashi and Guy stood in the middle of the isle with Lee, watching the fight. Naruto and Shikamaru came sliding in from the stairs, looking out of breath. 

The speed Sasuke had was impressive. It was hard to follow him with the naked eye. 

“Sensei, stop the match.” Naruto was heaving breaths in between words. Shikamaru didn’t look to be faring much better. “This guy is different...he’s a monster. Please, sensei!”

“Naruto, be quiet.” Kakashi glanced over his shoulder. “Sasuke is prepared. Come,” He waved a hand at the two boys. “Watch.” 

Gaara tried to counter, his sand shield managing to block a few of Sasuke’s moves, but Sasuke broke through. The cracks forming on Gaara’s face was proof of that. Loose sand began trickling onto the ground between Gaara’s fingers as he gripped the spot Sasuke kicked him. 

A smirk on Sasuke’s face was all you saw before he took off again. A blur of black against the light brown and green of the arena. Sasuke was winning, that was evident, until Gaara changed tactics. Instead of allowing the sand to react on its own, he decided to pull it around him in a ball. As the last of Gaara’s face was covered up by the sand, Sasuke grimaced. He was so close. 

Ayame watched as Sasuke jumped onto the wall, gathering his chakra for...something. Kakashi looked insanely proud at whatever Sasuke was planning. She glanced at the ball of sand on the ground before her eyes snapped back to Sasuke. 

A loud chirping sound suddenly filled the arena, white lightning and blue chakra shooting from Sasuke’s left hand. 

“The chidori?” Guy’s head snapped to Kakashi, who seemed to be grinning under his mask. “You taught that boy a dangerous technique.”

“As if you’re one to talk.” Kakashi snapped back. “Right, Lee?”

Fighting over Lee while he stood there, arm and leg in a cast, precariously balanced with a single crutch, was sort of rude. Especially when the poor kid didn’t really understand what was going on. The technique Guy had taught Lee was dangerous, probably as dangerous as the chidori. 

Naruto was still standing on the top step, his hands gripping the railing. Before he was just interested in watching the match, seeing how Sasuke had improved. Now he was... _ jealous _ . Sasuke learned a new jutsu, a  _ cool _ jutsu, and Naruto only learned how to walk on water and summon a toad.

When the jutsu hit Gaara’s nearly impenetrable ball of sand, Sasuke’s hand slowly filtered through, directly into Gaara’s shoulder. 

Then Ayame saw it. With the other auras in the arena, she was already having a hard time picking one out over the other. But  _ this _ aura began pouring out of the hole Sasuke’s arm had left. Gaara’s aura was already coagulated blood red with granules of tan sprinkled through. But underneath that was black, like none she had ever seen before. It wasn’t the black of the night, or the black of a dark room. It was an absence of color. Just nothing. And the nothingness was growing. 

“Sasuke!” Ayame screamed, nearly jumping over the railing. “Get away from him!”

Something in her voice must have resonated because Sasuke pulled his arm free and jumped back. 

Kakashi grabbed the girl by the collar to keep her from going over the edge. “Ayame, what’s wrong?”

Her eyes were wide when it fully hit her. The only other person she has ever met with three colors is Naruto. Two for him and one for... “He’s...he’s a jinchuriki.” 

Before it could fully hit them, before anyone could fully comprehend, something fell over the crowd. One by one people were falling asleep, their eyes suddenly too heavy to remain open. Ayame watched as Naruto and Shikamaru both fell, their eyes closed as they snored. 

“Genjutsu.” Sakura said, offhandedly, as she formed the sign to release it. Ayame followed suit. 

With the quiet in the crowd, Ayame fought through the hazy rainbow of color to find Sasuke’s cherry and wine aura. He was still alive, holding his arm and a cut on his face. The sand ball was still there, although slowly breaking down. The proctor, Genma, was standing between them, trying to decide what to do. 

When Kakashi and Guy jumped, fighting the Sound ninja who went undercover as ANBU, Ayame could feel some dark, something nagging in her head. Where had she felt that before. It was subtle, with Gaara’s aura attempting to suffocate the entire arena, but it was there. Red and green, like paint splotches on canvas. 

“ _ Orochimaru! _ ”

Sakura could barely grab her before Ayame tried to leave the stands. 

“Ayame, Sakura.” Kakashi’s voice rang out. “Wake up Naruto and Shikamaru. They will be mad if they miss this.”

Ayame began to argue, but Sakura wrapped a hand around her wrist and pulled hard. They stumbled up the stairs and knelt before the boys. Shikamaru’s eyes fluttered open, looking upset he was woken up at all. Naruto came back into consciousness like a freight train, arms and legs flagging around. 

As soon as he saw the look on Ayame’s face, he knew something was wrong. “What happened?”

As Sakura gave them the abridged version, Ayame’s focus was back on Orochimaru’s aura, who was suddenly really close to the gray and green of Lord Third’s. 

The black aura suddenly felt close. Too close. She watched as Gaara flew past them and over the walls, toward the woods. It wasn’t long before Sasuke was trailing behind him. 

“Kids.” It was Kakashi, who stood on the back of a bench, looking back at them over his shoulder. “Prepare yourselves. I have a new A-rank mission for you. Follow after Sasuke.” He paused to summon a small Pug. “Catch up to him and find some place safe. We will rendezvous with you.” 

“A puppy?” Shikamaru deadpanned. 

“The name is Pakkun.” The small dog jumped over and bit Shikamaru in the leg. “I am no puppy.”

Guy landed behind them, punching a large hole in the wall. “This way.” 

“Ayame.” Kakashi’s voice was a warning, and for a brief moment, Ayame was sure he was going to tell her she couldn't go. Instead, his eye crinkled into a smile. “Be careful.” 

Ayame nodded, quick and sharp, before jumping out the hole. 

They didn’t technically  _ need _ Pakkun. Ayame could feel Sasuke’s aura through the trees, seeing as how they weren’t that far away. But it was nice he was there. A specialist in pursuit and takedown was, no doubt, always helpful. Especially when he turned his little head, ears perking up. 

“There are eight...no, nine enemies behind us.” 

“Should we ambush them?” Naruto was ready for another fight. He was still riding the high of his win against Neji.

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but Shikamaru cut her off. “An ambush isn’t a bad idea, but it’s not the best one. We need someone who will cause a diversion. Pakkun is needed to find Sasuke. Naruto is needed as the only one strong enough to stand by Sasuke in a battle.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “Fine. I will stay behind, cause a distraction. The rest of you, go.” 

Pakkun huffed out a laugh. “Actually, Ayame could find him just fine, but I get what you’re saying.” 

Shikamaru just shrugged. “Don’t know much about her abilities, I’m afraid. Either way I’ll be the one who stays behind. The rest of you, go.” 

Naruto tried to argue, but in the end they let Shikamaru stand alone as they pushed on ahead. 

“I hope he’s okay.” Ayame said, her voice low as they jumped through the trees. 

“Shikamaru will be fine.” Naruto sounded so sure, so confident. “He’ll meet back up with us.” 

A few dozen trees passed before Ayame realized what Pakkun had said before. “Pakkun, how did you know I could find Sasuke? How do you know what my ability is?”

“We summons aren’t just in the void before we’re called upon. We live with Kakashi, and he talks to us. We know all about the four of you. We need to, to properly protect you.”

“Protect us?” Sakura asked. 

Pakkun looked over his shoulder at them. “We help protect what Kakashi holds dear. And, for better or worse, that’s you four.” 

There was silence as they jumped, neither kid knowing what to say. The three glanced at each other, understanding had crossed between them. It was a silent agreement to let Sasuke in on this secret, too. He was included in that, after all. 

Naruto grinned, a little thing that barely showed on his face. Kakashi wants him protected, cares about him. He’s got a best friend and rival in Sasuke, a best friend in Ayame, and a sister in Sakura. Ero-sennin is...something. He’s not sure what. A mentor or a friend. Ero-sennin is something, anyway. It never really hit home before, but Naruto had realized he did have a life now. It’s not perfect, the village still despises him and his chakra control is still shit. But it’s starting. Something  _ good _ is starting. 

He was so lost in his head that, when the group stopped, Naruto went head first into a tree. The resounding  _ thunk _ echoed off the trees around them. 

“Why did we stop?” Naruto was rubbing his forehead and wincing. 

Pakkun looked like he wanted to laugh, but chose to be professional instead. “There are two strange smells ahead. Sasuke was there, but is now moving. The two that are left are going to fight.” 

“So?” 

“So we can’t just go barging through, Naruto.” Sakura scolded him. 

“Naruto,” Ayame knelt down to fix her sandal. “It will be quicker going around the fight than risk the chance of getting caught up in it.” When she looked at him again, he just rolled his eyes. 

“Fine.” 

Pakkun led them around the fight, but Ayame could still see the colors moving back and forth. She vaguely remembers seeing them before, but can’t put a face to the colors. 

It was only moments later when they caught up. Some... _ thing _ is flying right at Sasuke, looking as if ready to kill. Naruto pushes off the tree branch harder, snapping it in two, and kicks the thing right across the face. 

Ayame, Sakura and Pakkun take point around Sasuke, who is lying motionless on the thick branch. He was grunting in pain, blood trickling out of his mouth. 

“Um...hey.” Naruto sounds panicked when Ayame looks up. “What is that?”

Pakkun sniffs the air. “It may not look like it, but that’s Gaara.” 

All Ayame can see is a monster wrapped in black. The deep blood red of Gaara’s original aura is almost entirely consumed. 

“Okay, but  _ what _ is he?” 

Gaara didn’t give Naruto a chance to finish. “You are in my way.” He growled before leaping off the branch, heading right at Sasuke. Naruto froze, unable to do anything. It was Sakura who stood up, kunai held tight in her hands. Before Ayame could do anything, Sakura was pinned against the tree in a large claw-like arm. 

Gaara was standing in front of Sasuke, who was now clutching at his neck where the curse mark is. Naruto grabbed Sasuke before jumping to the relative safety of a different branch, Ayame and Pakkun following. 

“What do we do?” Naruto was talking to himself, saying it on repeat. “What do we  _ do _ ?”

Ayame grabbed his jacket, spinning him around. “We take a deep breath and fight.” 

“What’s the matter?” Gaara’s voice almost sounded like a reverb. Like there were two people talking through him. “Weren’t you going to clobber me?” His mismatched eyes trained on Naruto. 

Sasuke pulled his arms under him, trying to force his body to sit up. Ayame watched as he slammed back onto the tree. “Sit still.” She whispered. Then, to Naruto, “Be careful.” 

An arm made from sand flew her direction, but Ayame threw up a force field before it made contact. The sand hit the rounded field, scattering in granules around them. Naruto jumped, kunai raised in the air, and came down towards Gaara’s head. Before he could make contact, a tail shot out and smacked Naruto into the tree. Ayame held firm to her force field, protecting Sasuke at the least, but she craned her neck to see if Naruto was okay. He began pushing himself upright, and the redhead took a deep breath. 

She looked back at Gaara to see him becoming more and more like the bijuu inside of him. She doesn’t know a lot about them, and hasn’t been able to get a hold of the reading material, but she knows there are nine and that Naruto has the ninth. So far she’s only seeing one tail on Gaara -or what  _ was  _ Gaara- so, does he have the one tail?

Naruto wavered, looking at the dark rimmed eyes looking at him with such hate. He knew that hate, had felt that hate before. When he was a child, before he knew what he was and why they hated him, Naruto had hated the village. He hated the people in the village and how they would whisper about him. It was hate born from loneliness, and it got better once he had a team and friends. 

A squeeze of the hand holding Sakura against the tree had her crying out, and the sound brought Naruto back to reality. Gaara threw sand shuriken at him, one right after another, throwing Naruto backward into the trees. He landed hard, his spine slamming into the bark. Ayame left out a scream, clinging to the force field as if it were a lifeline. 

Naruto had blood trickling out of his mouth as he formed the signs for his shadow clones. They were flipping through the air before Gaara, doing everything they could to get behind him. Once Naruto did, he jammed a paper bomb kunai right under his tail. 

The explosion sent Naruto flying. At the same time Sasuke pushed himself up enough to push Ayame over, causing the force field to falter allowing him to jump between Naruto and the tree he was colliding with. 

“Sasuke?” 

Said boy tried to stand again, but it took everything he had to jump as far as he did. “Take the girls and run, Naruto. I can slow him down. I can’t see more people I care about die.”

That hit Naruto. His eyes widened as he looked at Sasuke. Naruto knew the story of the Uchiha massacre, everyone did. To think that Sasuke had  _ seen _ it wasn’t something Naruto ever thought about. The pained look Sasuke seemed to constantly have in his eyes and the nightmares he would never talk about made a lot more sense. 

He glanced over to see Ayame prying at the hand holding Sakura. 

“No.” Naruto balled his hands into fists at his sides. “Take a break, Sasuke. Leave this to Uzumaki Naruto!”

There was a flurry of orange as the immediate area was flooded with Narutos. Ayame kept pulling at the claws until about six Narutos came to help her. Sasuke’s eyes were wide, in awe of the dead last student who could create something like this. 

The clones managed to beat Gaara into the ground by sheer brute force. The few that were helping Ayame managed to get two fingers loose before something happened and they all popped out of existence. 

The ground shook as Gaara fully transformed into the One Tail, Shukaku.

The real Naruto took a look around the forest. He saw Ayame manically trying to get another finger to let up. He saw Sakura’s head falling forward as Ayame shook the tree with how hard she was pulling. He saw Sasuke’s wide eyes as he took in Naruto. 

“How --” Sasuke stammered.

In lieu of an answer, Naruto just jumped away to a safe distance, then, after gathering more chakra, he summoned the Great Chief Gamabunta. 

Ayame stopped pulling on the fingers and stared in awe. Sasuke’s jaw hit the branch. 

Naruto’s heart thumped loud in his chest as he stood upon the huge toad’s head. He did it. He could protect his friends, now.

“Listen, kid,” The huge toad began. “I know I said I’d make you my henchman, but, I mean…”

“Please. I can’t protect my friends without you!” The pain in Naruto’s voice was enough to sway the huge toad. He took a battle stance and truly stared down his opponent. 

Shukaku began to laugh. “Now this is getting fun.” 

When Gamabunta jumped, the fight began. One jutsu landed too close to his friends, which Naruto protested. Naruto hung on for life as Gamabunta showed exactly how high and how fast he could actually move. The fight seemed to be going well, until Shukaku pulled Gaara out of his head, the body half exposed. 

“We need to wake the kid up.” Gamabunta told Naruto on a descent to the ground. “But I can’t hold it in this form. We need to transform into something with claws.”

“Like what?” Naruto asked, willing something fierce to his mind. 

The toad just huffed at him, dodging a wind attack. “C’mon, kid, you can’t be that dense.” 

Naruto drew up a picture of something fierce, angry, with claws and fangs. The first thing that came to mind: Kyuubi.

When the smoke cleared, Gamabunta was a nine-tailed demon fox, and Naruto couldn’t have been happier. 

“This is what you came up with?” The toad asked as Naruto clung to his fur. 

“It works, doesn’t it?”

“Whatever.” Gamabunta jumped again, digging his new claws into the huge tanuki. “Go, wake that kid up!”

Naruto jumped from his head onto Shukaku’s head, heading straight for Gaara. He needed something bold, something drastic. The first thing he came up was headbutting Gaara as hard as he could. 

Damn. It actually worked.

\--

Ayame was still gripping at the fingers, the large sand hand that had a grip on Sakura had stopped tightening. Suddenly, the sand started to fall, the chakra infusing it tapering away. Ayame grabbed Sakura at the last second, but almost lost her footing. Warm, strong hands caught her. 

“Sasuke?” 

He laid them both on a sturdy limb, where Pakkun was waiting. The curse mark was still active, black flames licking up his neck and down his arms. It struck her, then, how the wine and cherry of his aura fought against the violet attempting to devour it. It wasn’t the gentle ebb and flow he naturally had, it was like an angry ocean storm fighting against itself in huge waves. The look in his dark eyes was hollow, empty. Ayame reached up, placing a hand on his cheek. The dark eyes widened. 

“We’re okay, Sasuke.” She gave him a sad smile. “Want me to go find Naruto?”

“No.” Sasuke stood up, her hand falling uselessly to her side. “I’ll find him.” 

Sasuke pushed off from the branch. Ayame looked back to Sakura, who was starting to come around. 

“Sakura.” She breathed out. 

“Ayame?” Sakura began pushing herself into a sitting position. “What happened?”

Ayame shook her head. “Where do I start?”


	11. Chapter 11

Naruto pulled himself toward Gaara, crawling like a snake in the dirt. Gaara was just like him. Feared and hated and ignored and whispered about with cold eyes. 

“Why?” Gaara asked, laying flat on his back, dirt sticking in his hair and on his clothes. “Why would you fight for those who have hurt you?”

“I fight for those I consider my friends and family.” Naruto answered, the honesty shining in his eyes. “I used to be alone, like you. But then I met Iruka-sensei and my team. And then Ayame. Now I’m not alone anymore. I fight to keep them safe.” 

Gaara looked confused. “Friends and family?”

It was then that Sasuke dropped in beside him. “Naruto, are you okay?”

Temari and Kankuro weren’t far behind him, landing on each side of Gaara. 

“The girls?” Ever selfless Naruto who always worried about others before himself. 

“They’re fine.” Sasuke knelt down, visually checking for wounds. “You are both chakra exhausted, so stop moving.” 

Temari looked nervous as she watched Sasuke intently. “We, um, are just going to go, then?”

Sasuke waved them off. “Just go.”

Naruto’s eyes looked unfocused as he looked up at Sasuke. “Thanks, Sasuke.” Then he promptly passed out. 

\--

The days leading up to the Third Hokage’s funeral were spent waiting for Naruto to wake up and Sasuke’s body to heal. Sakura suffered a bruised rib, and was lucky that’s all she got out of her ordeal. It took Sasuke longer for his curse seal to settle back down, the flames receding into his mark. When it did finally recede, he spent a day in bed with a fever. Ayame and Sakura went to visit him, but he promptly kicked them out. Unfortunately for Sasuke, Ayame doesn’t take no for an answer. 

After waving Sakura off, she snuck into Sasuke’s window, stepping lightly down the hallway. A kunai was thrown at her, which she barely dodged. 

“Sasuke, stop being a bitch. Let me see if you’re okay.” Ayame snatched the kunai out of the wall and entered his bedroom. He was dressed in a pair of shorts, his body covered with a sheen of sweat. Ayame sighed and grabbed the rag by his bed. She found the bathroom and coated it in cold water again. 

“I’m fine.” He growled out when she reentered his bedroom. “Go away.” 

“Nope.” She knelt down by his bed and laid the rag back on his head. She watched as his body was racked with a rough cough. “Besides, I know better than anyone else what your curse seal does, remember?”

He tried for a glare, but he was too sick for it to have much heat. “You didn’t have it.” 

“No, but my family had it. I know that they had thoughts planted in their head. Dragging up the worst experiences and dangling them in their faces.” She watched as something passed through his eyes. “What is he making you relive, Sasuke?”

He turned his head away from her, but she could see the way he began to shake. 

“The...that night.” 

Ayame nodded. “Figures. He would drag up the worst thing in your life. At least you aren’t talking to yourself, yet.” 

“Kakashi did something to it. I can only use the seal when I need to.” 

“You don’t.” Sasuke shot her a confused look. “You don’t need to use it. You’re strong enough on your own.” 

Sasuke pushed himself into a sitting position, glaring Ayame down. “I can’t kill him yet. I’m not strong enough.” 

“Who? Your brother?” Ayame leaned forward, putting her face in front of Sasuke’s. “I’m not strong enough to avenge my family, either, but I’m not going to let some psycho pedophile bite me to make it happen! I’ll do it on my own.” 

The nights they spent in the training field, where Ayame sits there and watches Sasuke throw kunai until his hands ache and he forgets the nightmares, have led to an understanding between the two. They went through very similar experiences, both losing everything they had ever known, and that bonded them, in a way. 

“That psycho pedophile gave me power.” 

“That psycho pedophile murdered my entire village!” Ayame didn’t know what else to do, how else to get through to him. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him. “He told us you will come to him on your own. You can’t do that. It’s what he  _ wants _ and you are smarter than this.” She leaned back on her heels, shaking with anger. “How would you feel if I sought Itachi out for training, Sasuke? Because that’s what this is doing to me right now.” 

It was deathly silent in the room, filled with their breathing and anger. Neither one spoke, just stared each other down. Then, as if something snapped inside her, Ayame flung herself at Sasuke, head burrowing in his shoulder. The tears came, hot and heavy. 

“I can’t lose anyone else like this.” She dug her nails into his shoulder. “Whether you like it or not, we’re friends. I can’t lose anymore friends.  _ Please _ Sasuke.” 

After a few beats, Sasuke slowly brought his hands up, hugging her back. “I’ll...I’ll talk to Kakashi tomorrow, okay?”

The relief in her body was palpable.

\--

Naruto awoke with a start. The last thing he remembered was Gaara and lying on the hard ground. This wasn’t the hard ground, it was a hard mattress. He felt familiar hands grab his arm. 

“It’s okay, Naruto. You’re okay.” 

“Where’s Gaara?”

“They took him back to Suna. He was okay the last I heard, just shaken up.” Ayame smoothed a piece of hair off his face. “He’s safe, though.”

“Sasuke?”

Ayame snorted. “He’s still an asshole, so he’s fine.” Naruto nodded. “Um...there’s something you should know, though. The Third Hokage...he died.” 

Naruto’s eyes snapped to hers. “What?”

“Apparently while we were chasing Gaara, Orochimaru was fighting Lord Third.” 

“And he won.” Naruto dropped his eyes to where his hands were picking at the hospital sheet. 

Ayame wasn’t sure what exactly happened. “His funeral is tomorrow. Well, his and everyone who died during the battle.” 

Naruto just nodded. 

\--

Naruto found Konohamaru in the crowd of the funeral and stood beside him. Koharu and Homura led the service while the small boy cried. He watched as Iruka knelt down beside him, letting the boy cry on his shoulder. It hurt, watching someone he cared about cry and feel terrible and not being able to do anything. 

Ayame’s hand found his, a grounding presence amidst all the pain. He watched as she turned her head to Sasuke, grabbing his hand, also. Sakura mimicked her on Sasuke’s other side. The four of them stood, a united front, as they listened to the two council members talk. 

After the funeral, when everyone slowly filed out, Naruto saw Konohamaru holding onto Asuma’s leg, crying again. He stopped and stared, wanting to do something, but not knowing what. Ayame, who still had his hand, stopped with him. 

“Right now,” She began, as if she could read his mind, “he just needs to cry. It’s okay, his family will know how to help him.”

“I can’t help him.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. Naruto just knew there was nothing he could do to make it better. 

Ayame squeezed his hand. “You can’t take the pain away, no.”

“I hate this. Being helpless.” Naruto’s other hand balled into a fist.

“I know.” 

\--

When Jiraiya found Naruto and Ayame, they were at Ichiraku’s. Naruto was literally stripping his clothes off and Ayame was as red as her hair. All of this for a free ramen ticket. 

“Naruto, honestly,” Ayame covered her eyes with her hands as he dropped his pants to the ground. “I’ll buy you the damn ramen, just put your clothes on.” 

“It’s the principal of the matter.” Naruto muttered, holding his pants upside down and shaking them. 

Ayame shook her head, eyes still covered. “You learned that saying from me.”

“So,” Jiraiya began, looking between the two. “I finally found you.” 

“What do you want, Ero-sennin?” Naruto asked, pulling his pants back on. With those on, Ayame finally dropped her hands. Her face was still red, however.

“I came to collect you two, actually. We are going on a mission.” 

Ayame looked confused. “Me, too?”

“Of course!” Jiraiya gave her a big smile. “I need someone who can keep this kid in line.” 

“Why do I have to go, though?” Naruto asked, pulling his jacket back on. “I got stuff to do, like training and bugging Kakashi-sensei to train me.” 

“Well,” Jiraiya began walking away. “If you don’t want to, that’s fine. But I was going to teach you a cool jutsu. A jutsu the  _ Fourth Hokage _ invented.” 

Naruto’s eyes lit up. He gave Ayame a megawatt smile and grabbed her hand. “Let’s go pack, Ayame!”

They met Jiraiya at the village gates before noon, excited to go. It had been so long since their last mission, the one where Sasuke and Naruto were glued together for a few days, and then the disaster that was the chunin exams. A nice, easy mission was welcomed. 

“What are we doing, Jiraiya-sensei?” Ayame asked, hands gripping the straps on her backpack. 

Jiraiya turned to walk backwards, facing the two kids. “We are going to find the Fifth Hokage.” 

“Whose that?” Naruto scratched the back of his head, face screwed up in thought. “Someone cool, right? Someone really strong?”

Jiraiya just laughed. “You could say that. We’re going to find Tsunade.” 

Ayame stopped dead in her tracks. “Lady Tsunade? Like, one of the three sannin? Your teammate?”

“Guess you’ve heard of her.” Jiraiya waved off. 

“Heard of her?” Ayame jogged to catch up. “She’s a fucking legend!”

“Language.” Jiraiya said sternly. “What would your grandpa think of that?” 

Ayame dropped her head. “Sorry.” 

Naruto still looked confused. “I don’t know who that is. But, but, Ero-sennin, can you train me, now?”

Jiraiya stopped for a minute, hand on his chin. “I guess we can start. Ayame, you want to try, too?” He pulled two water balloons from...somewhere. Ayame wasn’t sure where he would have kept them. “You can do this while we walk. Just use your chakra to move the water inside until the balloon pops.” He handed one to each of the kids and turned to keep walking. 

Both kids looked at each other, then eagerly held the balloons in their hands. 

They reached the post village by early evening, where Jiraiya had gotten them a room. The village itself was a decent size, housing all types of people. One man in a mawashi had a fire lit on his finger, standing frozen as a statue, while a dog urinated on him. Both Ayame and Naruto had a good laugh at that. 

While checking in, Jiraiya and Naruto both noticed a woman standing on the street wearing a short dress. Ayame just crossed her arms and rolled her eyes as the two males ogled her. 

“Men.” She sighed, taking the room key the man was trying to hand to Jiraiya. “Anyone one else want to find their room?”

Jiraiya turned around, throwing his bag at Ayame. “Yeah, that’s a great idea. You kids keep practicing and go to bed.” 

Naruto put up an argument, but eventually caved and followed Ayame to their room. 

“So,” She started, “brunette is your type, then?”

“Huh?” 

“That girl.” Ayame ignored the way her stomach churned with this conversation. “The one Jiraiya ran off with.” 

“Oh.” Naruto just gripped the straps on his backpack. “I never really thought about it.”

They didn’t speak again until they got to the room. It was roomy for the size of the inn. It only had two beds, but Naruto and Ayame slept side-by-side most nights anyway. 

They each took a seat on the beds, attempting to hone their chakra. They didn’t get far before Ayame’s head shot up. “Sasuke?”

“What?”

Ayame stood up, turning her head toward the colors she saw out of the corner of her eye. “Sasuke is here, somewhere.” 

They both stood up to find the Uchiha when they found two people on the other side of the door. One with eyes as red as Sasuke’s, the other with a huge wrapped sword against his back. 

“Who are you?” Naruto asked meekly. “What do you want?”

Ayame held her hands up, forming a force field in the doorframe. “Naruto...get behind me.” 

The power radiating off of them was intoxicating. She could practically taste it. Something was wrong, she could feel that. 

“This is what is holding the Nine Tails?” The man with the sword asked, gripping the hilt tighter. “Doesn’t look like much to me.” 

The man with the red eyes stared straight at Naruto, making the blonde waver. Without a noise, Naruto began walking toward the two men, his gaze unfocused. 

“Naruto…” Ayame knew if she let her hands go, the force field would waver. At least the force field would hold him back. 

But it didn’t. Naruto walked right through it. She reached out to grab him, the fabric of his jacket slipping through her fingers.  _ Why can he walk through her force field? _

Once Naruto got into the hallway, he seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in. He looked at Ayame, seemingly in surprise. 

“What do you want with Naruto?” Ayame’s voice sounded stronger than she felt. 

“We don’t care about the kid, we want the Kyuubi.” The man shifted his sword on his back. “And we’ve come to collect, little girl.” 

The man with red eyes narrowed them at her. His eyes almost seemed to be looking  _ inside _ of her. It was more than unnerving. Ayame could feel Sasuke’s aura getting closer, he was going to find them. Maybe he could help?

“Itachi Uchiha!” She heard Sasuke’s voice echo in the hall. “I did as you said. I lived in hate. Now I’m here to kill you.” 

“Itachi?” Naruto mimicked. “Is that  _ the guy _ he was talking about?”

“His brother?” Ayame breathed out. 

Sasuke’s chidori crackled and chirped in his hand, casting a blue haze over the hallway. Naruto’s eyes were wide as Sasuke pushed off, running toward his brother. Itachi let him get close enough for him to throw Sasuke’s hand through the wall, the chidori making a circular hole in the wall. 

“I’m not interested in you, right now.” Itachi snapped Sasuke’s wrist, the crack echoed off the walls in sickening clairity. The young Uchiha yelled out, flopping to the ground. Itachi turned from his brother as if he swatted a fly, uncaring. 

Ayame ducked between the doorframe and Itachi to check on Sasuke. Itachi let her, focusing on Naruto instead. Sasuke’s wrist was a deep purple, the bruise darkening as she watched it. Not for the first time she wished she knew medical ninjutsu. Sasuke stirred, looking up at her. 

Naruto backed up with the attention of both men on him. 

“What color is he?” Sasuke whispered out. Ayame just shook her head. “Ayame, please.” 

“Purple and silver.” 

“Not black?” He pushed himself to a sitting position. 

“No, the other guy is black and green.” 

Sasuke nodded, standing up. His legs were shaking, his breathing heavy, but he stood tall. She stood up next to him, hand still wrapped around his bicep. 

“I’m okay, save the idiot.” Sasuke motioned toward Naruto with his head. “This is my fight.” 

She understood, she honestly did, but that didn’t mean Ayame had to like it. She backed up, hugging the wall. Sasuke looked ready to kill, but he also looked ready to throw up. She held her breath as Sasuke reeled a fist back. It met with nothing but air as Itachi easily dodged, his elbow hitting Sasuke in the sternum. Kisame turned to watch, ignoring Naruto for the time being. Naruto, however, was frozen in place, his mouth hanging open. Sasuke tried again, a kick to the shin, but Itachi was faster. As he hit the wall, Ayame could hear the air leaving his lungs in one swift rush. Itachi held him against the wall in one hand before staring deep in Sasuke’s eyes. Then Sasuke screamed. 

Somewhere she heard Naruto yell Sasuke’s name, then she felt a sticky substance rise from the ground. 

_ Jiraiya. _

Ayame turned around, her eyes wide as she saw Jiraiya gently lay the girl they ogled earlier on the floor. Jiraiya was talking to them, trying to find out what they wanted, but all Ayame could think about was Sasuke’s lifeless body only feet away from her. She looked toward Naruto, who looked plain scared. 

The sticky substance on the floor increased, sucking the unconscious Sasuke into the wall with it. Naruto tried to move, but Jiraiya yelled at them both to stay still. 

Once Kisame and Itachi fled, leaving behind black flames burning into the sticky wall, Ayame finally was able to take a deep breath. 

“Are you kids okay?” Jiraiya asked, eying the black flames. “Did they hurt you?”

“They hurt Sasuke.” Ayame sounded pissed off. She knelt down to where Naruto had sat Sasuke on the floor. “Broken ribs, wrist, and whatever mind fuck thing Itachi did to him.” 

Jiraiya busied himself with a scroll, sealing the black flames away. Naruto looked at the scroll, then to Jiraiya. 

“Ero-sennin, what did you just do?”

“Sealed the flames away so I can study them later.” Jiraiya put the scroll in his bag and began walking over to the kids. 

“That...that is so cool.” 

Ayame nodded. “Fuuinjutsu is pretty cool, honestly.” 

It was then that Guy decided to burst in, leg first, and kick Jiraiya across the face. 

\--

After Guy had taken Sasuke back to Konoha, with a promise he’d be taken straight to the hospital, the three set out for the next town. They didn’t even spend the night in that inn, just packed their bags and left. Ayame wasn’t sure if this was the best option, seeing as how two crazy people just attacked them, but Jiraiya assured her they were okay. 

“What’s important is finding our next Hokage.” He reasoned, hand on her head. “Besides, I think we scared them off for now.” 

“Why did they want me?” Naruto asked, his head angled toward the ground. He hadn’t spoken for much of their walk to the next town. 

“It’s not you they want, as much as what’s inside you.” Jiraiya, looked at him over his shoulder. 

“The Kyuubi.” Naruto grabbed at the fabric covering his stomach. “It’s the monster that destroyed the village. Why would they want it?”

“For power.” Jiraiya answered. No one said anything else for miles. 

The town they arrived in was decked out in full festival mode. There were games and food stalls set up everywhere. Jiraiya tried to reason with Naruto, to take his precious frog wallet, but Ayame was having none of it. 

“I remember you, Jiraiya. I know what you’ll use it for. Don’t start with me.” 

Jiraiya relented, after giving them a lecture about spending money wisely. Like he would know. 

“I’m going on an information gathering mission. You two enjoy the festival. Come find me when you’re done.” He threw his bag at Naruto and waved them goodbye. 

“He’s going to find some women.” Ayame muttered. “The damn pervert.” 

Naruto just shrugged. “Let’s eat!” 

After sampling from nearly every food stall, and even trying  _ octopus _ , the two kids sat on a hill overlooking the town, gorging themselves on food. With empty containers laying all around them, the two laid back in the grass, looking at the clouds. 

“Do you ever actually see shapes in the clouds?” Ayame asked, one hand rested on her overfilled stomach. 

“No.” Naruto was absentmindedly twirling his hair. “Do you?”

“Nope.”

Naruto was quiet for a moment before he spoke, like he was trying to find the words. “Do...do you think Sasuke will be okay?”

Ayame didn’t answer at first. “I think physically he will. Emotionally and mentally, I’m not sure. At the end, when Sasuke screamed, I think he was in a genjutsu. Sasuke mentioned one time that Itachi excelled in that.” 

“You two spend a lot of time together.” His voice was quiet in the blowing wind. 

“Me and Sasuke?” Ayame asked, confused. “We’re friends.” 

Naruto nodded, but didn’t answer. He wasn’t sure why it bothered him that Ayame would know something so personal about Sasuke, it just did. Like she was going behind his back, or something. It didn’t make sense, even to him. Something caused his chest to tighten, like a band wrapped around his heart. He didn’t like that feeling.

“Let’s go play some games!” He jumped up off the ground, attempting to be his normal self. Ayame saw right through it. 

“Wait.” She grabbed his arm, pulling him back down. “Naruto...me and Sasuke went through something really similar. Sometimes he talks to me about it. Does that bother you?”

Naruto wanted to say no, to be happy and smiling again, but he couldn’t. He didn’t know why, but it  _ did _ bother him. Instead, he opted for silence. Ayame didn’t push an answer out of him, just wrapped her arms around his neck. 

“No matter what, Naruto, you’re still my best friend.” 

That band loosened quite a bit at that. 

They did go play some games. It was nearly evening when they found Jiraiya, two women in his lap and them with arms full of prizes. Being a shinobi does have its perks. 

They stayed at a small inn that night, in which Jiraiya took the bed by the door and the kids took the one by the window. Naruto woke in the morning with Ayame’s head on his shoulder and his arm completely numb. 


	12. Chapter 12

“C’mon kids, training time!” Jiraiya bellowed as Ayame came out of the bathroom. She went in there to get dressed while Naruto and Jiraiya argued. 

Naruto jumped up, fist pumping in the air. “Finally!”

They walked to a little wooded patch in the village, Jiraiya with an entire bag full of water balloons. Again, where did he get those from? He tossed each kid one and sat beneath a tree. 

“Go ahead.” He waved them off and tilted his head back. 

Ayame and Naruto looked at each other before shrugging it off and beginning on their training. They had already tried this while walking, but standing still made it much easier. 

“How long did it take the Fourth Hokage to master this?” Ayame asked as the balloon in her hand swelled up, but didn’t pop. 

“Three years.” Jiraiya answered. He’d graduated from leaning against the tree to be sprawled out on the ground with a notebook in his hand. 

Naruto groaned, nearly throwing his balloon on the ground. “And I’m supposed to learn it in one day?”

“Thought you wanted to be Hokage, kid?”

Well, that put a fire under Naruto as he began trying double hard to pop the balloon. All he was managing so far was some wild wiggling. 

They trained for two days before Ayame broke the balloon. It took another day, and an adorable cat, before Naruto did. He showed Jiraiya by breaking the balloon over his head. 

“So, next, I want you to break this rubber ball.” Jiraiya threw one at each of them. “It’s one hundred times harder than the balloon.”

“Ero-sennin, aren’t you gonna stay and watch?” Naruto asked. 

Jiraiya didn’t even spare him a glance. “You have to quit being a spoiled kid and be a ninja. Do this on your own.” 

“You don’t have to be a dick.” Ayame spoke up, grabbing Naruto’s arm and turning him the other way. “We’ve got this, Naruto.” She threw a glare over her shoulder. 

Jiraiya may have stomped away, but it definitely wasn’t because a twelve year old just made him feel two inches tall. 

By night, when the moon was high in the sky, the two kids slowly trudged back to the inn. They were exhausted. This wasn’t like the water balloon. These rubber balls were terrible. Ayame, with her amount of chakra control, could not get the ball to get past some aggressive wiggling. Naruto managed, with his powerful chakra, to pop it from one side. To say Ayame was aggravated was an understatement. 

“It won’t explode like Ero-sennin’s did!” Naruto complained, his hand burning and shaking with the effort. 

“Well, at least yours pops at all!” Ayame shot back, her hand stinging. “There’s got to be a trick to this.” 

Jiraiya wasn’t in the room when they got there, which was okay with them. He pissed them off, earlier. They got ready for bed, each taking turns wrapping the others sore hands. Ayame found an ointment in one of the shops meant for healing overworked hands. It wasn’t perfect, as it was made for civilians, but it helped a little. It at least healed them enough for the two to overwork their hands again. 

When Jiraiya came into the room, hours later, he noticed the way the two kids slept, curled around each other. He smiled. They were close, dependent on each other in a way that most people wouldn’t understand. Jiraiya just readied himself for bed and laid down. It was good that the kids had each other. They needed someone to rely on. As he drifted off to sleep, he thought about how close his team was, once upon a time. He wished he would have kept them that way. 

\--

Naruto laid on the ground, arms and legs like a starfish, trying to catch his breath. Ayame leaned against a tree, her useless and completely intact ball dangling in her stinging hand. The wind blew hard, knocking leaves out of the trees. Ayame watched as one floated down, landing perfectly on Naruto’s forehead. He didn’t even move, just pretended like it didn’t exist. Then, with a start, he sat up. 

“I...I need to concentrate.” 

“Yeah, he said that after he drew on us. I can concentrate all my chakra to my palm, and this damn thing doesn’t break.” 

“No,” Naruto stood up, staring at his hand again. “Concentrate.” 

Ayame just rolled her eyes. “Yeah...got that already.” 

Naruto held his hand out, the rubber ball resting immobile in his palm. She could feel him pulling the chakra to his hand, and then, the ball exploded. It threw Naruto backwards, skidding along the ground. Ayame’s spine hit the tree behind her. 

“What the fuck!” Ayame yelled, running over to where Naruto had slid. Jiraiya was leaning behind him, hand on his back. “You did it!”

Naruto looked exhausted, his hand charred around the edges. 

“To think, he summoned enough chakra to burn himself.” Jiraiya mused. “Ayame, quit swearing.” 

Ayame stuck her tongue out at him, but didn’t retort. Naruto slowly sat up, his hand thumping. 

“I...it actually popped.” 

\--

They were finally on the road again, finally got a hint of where Tsunade may be. Since Naruto had finished the second part of his training, Jiraiya showed him the third, keeping all the chakra inside a regular balloon without it popping. Ayame was still stuck on part two, but it wasn’t working out for her. 

They neared a small town, one Ayame had read about before. 

“Hey Jiraiya. Isn’t this town supposed to have a huge castle?”

Naruto looked up from his balloon (the fourth one, he’d popped the previous three) and glanced around. “I don’t see a castle.” 

“Me either.” Jiraiya looked confused.

They picked up the pace, with Jiraiya going into every gambling house in search of the famed Lady Tsunade. It was nearing dark by the time Jiraiya’s stomach growled. 

“Let’s just get something to eat in here.” Jiraiya began to pull the banner aside to step in. 

“Ero-sennin, I’m not done practicing yet.” Naruto pouted, trying to keep his chakra contained in his eleventh balloon. 

Ayame grabbed his arm, breaking his concentration and sending the balloon flying. “Well,  _ I am _ .” 

“You’re just jealous I’m getting this jutsu faster than you are.” Naruto stuck his tongue out before nearly tripping on the entrance. 

They both ran into Jiraiya’s back when he stopped dead. 

“Tsunade?”

In the back of the diner was a blonde woman who stood up and nearly threw her sake cup at the trio. 

“Jiraiya?”

They took a seat across from Tsunade and her apprentice, Shizune. For a while the two sannin just stared each other down. 

“What do you want, Jiraiya?”

Jiraiya took a drink from his sake cup as the waitress came around and took their orders. As the waitress left, he gave a bone weary sigh. “Sarutobi-sensei has died.” 

There was silence at their table so deafening you could hear a pin drop. 

“I see.” Tsunade broke the silence by filling up their sake cups. “Orochimaru killed him, didn’t he?” 

In the background, someone had started the old jukebox. An older rock song began to play, the tune drifting around them. It was so out of place with the current situation. The waitress brought their food, and even she could feel the tension at the table. 

“They are looking for the next Hokage.” When Jiraiya didn’t get the answer from Tsunade he was looking for, he sighed again. “They want you.” 

Naruto started at that, jumping up on the bench. “What? You said we were going to find her to help heal Sasuke and Kaka-sensei and Lee. You didn’t say anything about Hokage!”

Ayame grabbed his jacket and pulled him back down. “Naruto, hush.” 

“Who are these brats?” Tsunade asked, ignoring Naruto all together. 

“Uzumaki Naruto.” Tsunade’s eyes widened at that. “And Arai Ayame. So, what’s your answer? Will you accept?”

Totally ignoring Naruto’s outburst, Tsunade swirled the sake in her cup and stared intently at it. “I refuse.” Before anyone could say anything, she held up her hand. “Only fools give their lives for a village, for a bunch of people who don’t know them. Only fools become Hokage.” 

In one swift motion, Naruto was standing on the table. Jiraiya had him by the collar. Naruto was seething. 

“How dare you talk about them like that! The Third was not a fool. Neither was the Fourth.” Jiraiya pulled Naruto back onto the bench. Ayame grabbed his ankle to keep him there. “I don’t care if you’re a woman or not, I’ll clobber you.” 

Tsunade just laughed. “Let’s take this outside, kid.” 

Outside, Naruto wasted no time, throwing shuriken at Tsunade and rushing her with a kunai. The woman easily pulled the kunai from Naruto’s hand and flicked his headband in the air with it. Then, with one finger, flicked Naruto in the head, tossing him backwards. The kunai and the headband landed uselessly in front of him. 

“Why do you get so passionate about the Hokage?” Tsunade asked. 

“Because, unlike you, I will be Hokage, no matter what.” He looked up with a wry smile. “Because to become Hokage is my dream.” 

As Tsunade dropped her head, deep in thought, Naruto pulled his chakra to his palm, forming a weak rasengan. He rushed Tsunade when her eyes snapped to him, wide and alarmed. Before Naruto reached her, she hit the ground creating a crevice. Naruto tripped, falling forward, the rasengan barrelling into the ground. The force of the blast sent him backwards, getting stuck in the crevice just big enough to hold him. 

Ayame rushed to his side, holding out her hand to pull him up. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Naruto brushed debris from his hair. 

“What were you thinking?” Tsunade rounded on Jiraiya. “Teaching him that jutsu. Only you and the Fourth could do that. Teaching a child a jutsu he could never master. Don’t give him false hope.” 

Naruto’s brow furrowed. “Give me three days.” Naruto stood up, shaking a fist at Tsunade. “I’ll master that jutsu in three days, then I’ll show you! I’ll master that jutsu  _ and _ become Hokage!”

“I'll give you a week,” Tsunade started. “And if you can do it, I’ll give you my necklace.” 

“What do I want with a necklace, stupid lady.” Naruto put his hands behind his head. 

“Naruto,” Jiraiya chided him. “That’s a one of a kind necklace. It belonged to the First Hokage.” 

_ That _ got his attention. 

“Alright, I’ll take your bet. One week, huh?” Naruto smiled. 

\--

Jiraiya found them an inn not far from the diner. He left the two kids in there as he went ‘research gathering,’ which they all know is code for being a pervert. Ayame threw herself on the bed, stretching her arms and legs out. They’d been walking so much lately and her feet were feeling it. Naruto stripped off his sandals before joining her. 

“So...you gonna help me train tomorrow?”

Ayame snorted. “I can’t believe you took that bet.” 

“How did she get a necklace from the First Hokage?” Naruto wondered out loud. Ayame just looked at him. 

“Are...are you serious? Tsunade is the First Hokage’s granddaughter.” Ayame sat up, looking down at Naruto who was still spread out on the bed. 

“Oh.” 

Ayame fell back down on the bed, amazed at how she knew more information about Konoha than a kid who was  _ born _ there.

“Ayame?”

“Yeah?”

“Why does everyone keep comparing me to the Fourth Hokage? Since I met Jiraiya he’s told me I look like him and act like him. Now he’s teaching me his jutsu.” Naruto’s hand waved in the air as he talked. 

Ayame shrugged. “Jiraiya was his sensei, I think. I remember grandpa telling me that Jiraiya would brag about ‘training a Hokage’ or something. So, if you act like him or look like him, he would be the one to know.” Naruto looked too serious, too stuck in his head, so she opted to make a joke. “Maybe he’s your dad.” 

Naruto looked at her, his eyes wide. Then they both got lost in a fit of giggles. 

A knock on the door interrupted them. They looked to each other, both afraid to move. The last time they were alone in a hotel room together, Itachi showed up. Naruto gingerly walked to the door, opening it slowly. Shizune stood on the other side, looking considerably shaken up. 

“I want to tell you about Lady Tsunade and the story of the necklace. You can’t wear it, it won’t recognize you.” 

The two stood there, hanging off of Shizune’s every word. They learned all about Nawaki and Dan. When Shizune was done, Naruto’s face was dark. 

“I’m going to train.” 

\--

By the next night Naruto’s hand was red and raw, shaking as he tried to flex it. He’d been slamming his palm into tree after tree, rock after rock, to master the rasengan. That's what Tsunade called it: rasengan. Jiraiya didn’t even bother to tell him the name of the jutsu, just showed it to him. Naruto was all too willing to learn something that powerful and went into the training blindly. He does that a lot, running into situations without thinking them through. 

Ayame’s unwavering devotion never ceased to amaze him as she steadily brought him food and drinks at regular intervals. Ramen, dango, water, tea and overworked hands ointment showed up with a gentle coaxing to sit down and rest a minute. 

He trained like that, only taking minimal breaks when Ayame insisted, the whole week. Plenty of nights Ayame’s gentle coaching didn’t work and Naruto slept where he passed out, in the dirty woods. 

As Ayame walked toward the woods to find Naruto, he’d been out there quite long enough in her opinion, she crossed paths with Shizune. 

“Going to find Naruto?” She asked, wringing her hands in front of her. 

Ayame nodded. “I haven’t heard from him all day.” 

They got to the small clearing to see trees lying around everywhere, the trunks broken through. They found the bright orange, even in the moonlight, of Naruto’s jacket lying still on the ground. Ayame rushed over, rolling Naruto onto his back. 

“Naruto?” She shook him, but he wasn’t moving. Shizune rushed over, checking him over. 

“We need to get him back to the room so Lady Tsunade can look at him.” Shizune took one side and Ayame took the other, rushing back to the inn. They laid him gently in the bed, Shizune rushing off to find Tsunade while Ayame gently pulled his dirty sandals off. All of him was filthy, honestly. She sat down on the bed beside him, pulling his headband off and laying it on the bedside table. Smoothing his hair back from his face, Ayame sighed. He’d worked himself into exhaustion, the dumbass.

Tsunade came into the room, looking disgruntled and like her mind was elsewhere. “He’s exhausted. We need to wrap his hands, they have chakra burns.” She talked fast and barely looked at the kid. “He will probably sleep for a couple days, at least.” 

Ayame just looked from her to Naruto. “I, uh, doubt that. He heals fast.” 

Tsunade waved her off. “Do you have anything for his hands? Like cream or ointment?” 

“Yeah, I think he left it in the clearing, though.” Ayame ran off to get it, leaving Naruto in the hands of people she hoped wouldn’t hurt him. 

When she returned, Shizune was on the floor. 

“Shizune?” Ayame tried, shaking her. The woman wouldn’t even make a noise. With a little effort she drug the woman to Jiraiya’s bed.

Tsunade came back into the room, looking unfazed to see her apprentice knocked out. 

“Lady Tsunade!” Ayame ran to her, the words of what she found on the tip of her tongue when the woman smacked her on the temple, knocking her out, too. 

\--

Ayame woke to Naruto leaning over her. “Hey, Ayame, you okay?”

She sat straight up, nearly colliding her forehead and his nose. “Where is she? Where is Tsunade?”

“The old hag? She’s not here. Why is Shizune in that bed?”

“Tsunade knocked her out. Knocked us both out.” Ayame stood up, grabbing Naruto’s arm when the world began spinning around her. “Something is wrong.”

Naruto had a strange look on his face, but, after making sure Ayame was sturdy, walked over to Shizune to wake her up. 

Shizune woke up with a start. “What day is this?”

Naruto looked at the calendar on the wall. “Um, Monday, why?”

“You were supposed to be out for two days, at least.” Shizune was looking him over, clearly confused how he was walking around. 

Naruto just rubbed the back of his head. “No matter the injury, I’m fine after I sleep for a night.” He said it with such pride. 

They all jumped when a kunai was buried in the wall outside of the window. Ayame threw the window open. 

“Jiraiya, what the hell?”

He could barely walk, his speech slurred. “That bitch, Tsunade, drugged me.” 

They sat on the roof, allowing Jiraiya some time to recover, when Ayame felt something behind her. She turned, staring at the other side of the building, before shaking it off. 

“What did you see?” Jiraiya prompted. 

“I...I don’t know. I felt...it felt familiar, somehow.” She shrugged. “Sorry, Shizune, continue.” 

Shizune nodded. “Lady Tsunade made a deal with Orochimaru-” 

Ayame didn’t hear the rest of it, she didn’t need to. That name sent a shockwave through her. Naruto reached over and grabbed her hand, but Ayame couldn’t even  _ breathe _ let alone grip it back. Her brain grasped around the paint splatter of green and red that made up Orochimaru’s aura and searched for it. If he was here, if he was near, she could find him. She could go to him. She could  _ kill _ him. 

“Don’t.” Jiraiya’s stern voice broke through her. “Stay right here.” 

Her eyes snapped to his. “But --”

“Ayame.” Jiraiya’s voice reminded her so much of her grandpa, it almost hurt to hear him. He was calm, not yelling at her, just a reminder to settle down. “I can’t even imagine how you are feeling right now, but you’re no match for that man. He’s a  _ sannin _ , Ayame. You can’t take him on your own.” 

Shizune looked confused, but Naruto just squeezed her hand tighter. “Ayame…”

She stood up, her body forgetting to focus the chakra on her feet as they almost slipped on the smooth tiles of the roof. “Is Tsunade a match for him alone?”

Jiraiya stood up, wincing with the pain and discomfort. “Ayame, you’ve met her. Can you find her?”

Ayame nodded and they all sprung off the roof. 

They found her in a matter of minutes, in a full scale battle with Orochimaru and a subordinate. Within a smoke bomb, the four appeared in front of Lady Tsunade, stopping a kunai meant for her with a force field. 

When the smoke cleared, it was Orochimaru whose eyes Ayame found first. Cold and calculating. 

“You?” Naruto stared at Kabuto. “I know you, Kabuto. You were at the chunin exams.”

Kabuto laughed. “I remember you. And you’re not worth our time, not like Sasuke. Of course, battling the fox would have made this more interesting, but you can just sit this out.” 

Naruto glared, gritting his teeth. “You’ve been with him this whole time? You traitor!”

Jiraiya reached over and grabbed Ayame’s arm, holding her back. He still wasn’t at full strength, and knew he would be no good in a fight, but he could stop Ayame from making a huge mistake. There was blue dancing around the edges of her eyes, the Chikaragan threatening to break free. 

Naruto sprung into action first, sending four of himself into battle with Kabuto. His plan backfired and he was sent careening backwards, right into Shizune. Next to where they landed, Tsunade sat with her knees to her chest, shaking. 

It was then that Kabuto decided to summon two huge snakes. The same snakes that helped terrorize her village. Fear gripped her, freezing her in place. She could feel the heavy fog in Minori, the people dying around her, the smell of blood and death all around her. Vaguely she could see Jiraiya beside her, attempting to summon the huge toad, but instead summoning a smaller, sassy one. She watched as Naruto tried to summon one and wound up with an equally small, yellow one. 

When the snakes attacked, charging toward the ground with their lean muscles, Naruto grabbed Ayame and jumped out of the way. He sat her on the ground right before the snake caught Naruto in its mouth. She could hear the jaws snap shut, the sound of Naruto yelling from inside. Memories of friends, family, and people in the village dying the same way flooded her mind. 

The battle raged out as Ayame was stuck in her head. Shizune tried to take on Kabuto, but, with a hand to her chest, went down. Jiraiya jumped after Orochimaru, the two stuck in a sannin level battle on top of one of the snakes. A jutsu Jiraiya had used caused the snake Kabuto was on top of to sink into the ground. She watched as that snake began shaking his head, scratching his mouth on the ground. Moments later, Naruto slid out from between the jaws, landing with a  _ plop _ on the ground. 

“I got eaten once,” He declared, struggling to his feet. “It won’t happen again.” 

Kabuto rounded on Tsunade, since his snake was stuck in the ground, and ran at her. She was still a huddled, shaking mess. Missing the first few hits, Naruto made it for the last one. It hit him square in the metal part of his headband. Kabuto looked shocked at how fast Naruto moved, but the blonde just smiled. 

“Don’t touch Tsunade-baa-chan.” Naruto growled out. “I will kill you.” He spawned a clone.

Ayame watched as Kabuto brought a kunai directly toward Naruto, which the blonde caught in his hand. Blood ran a river down his wrist, dripping into the sleeve of his jacket, but Naruto ignored it. He pushed through the pain and gripped Kabuto’s fist, keeping him still. With his other hand held out to his clone, they began forming the rasengan. Ayame watched in shock as the jutsu was formed and held strong. All Naruto had needed all along was an extra set of hands. 

The rasengan hit home, directly in Kabuto’s stomach, sending the medical ninja spiraling backwards into a boulder. The excitement was short lived, however, as Naruto coughed up blood. Ayame’s eyes widened as Naruto fell backward, head hitting the ground hard. She scrambled over to him, shaking the blonde to get him awake. 

“Naruto?” Her voice was so small, so scared. “Naruto, please!”

Blood continued to trickle out of his mouth, cutting a red line across his jaw to his ear. The blood was deep red and out of place in the bright, usually unmarred, skin. Tsunade fell to her knees beside Naruto, checking him with her medical ninjutsu. 

“His heart muscles are in tatters.” He murmured. Ayame held her breath. “Oh no, his breathing stopped!” Tsunade pushed more and more healing chakra inside of him, her tears mixing with the blood coming out of Naruto’s mouth. 

Something in Ayame snapped. Naruto was loud, wild, and never sat still. This small lifeless body wasn’t  _ her _ Naruto. The blue that was hovering around her eyes grew more intense as her eyes paled to a bright white. With her red eyebrows drawn down, Ayame turned to Kabuto. He was laying on the ground, the rasengan too powerful for even him to heal. She didn’t care. Ayame walked slowly, but purposefully, toward the gray-haired man. She held out her hand, grasping at air. Kabuto jerked, trying to suck in a breath, but he couldn’t. Chakra-infused air wrapped tightly around his windpipe. Ayame used the force of her grasp to lift him up in the air, Kabuto hanging limply in what looked like nothing. She could hear the wheezing, the wracked breath he tried to inhale, her hands just squeezed tighter. 

Ayame almost had him. She almost could feel the life draining out of him, when Jiraiya collided with her. They both hit the ground hard. Jiraiya’s body was unconscious as she tried to push him off of her. With a glance she saw Kabuto back on the ground, hands gripping around his throat as if pulling something invisible. Ayame whipped her head around to find Naruto. Tsunade was still leaning over him, but her hands weren’t glowing green. She looked... _ happy _ . 

With a final shove of Jiraiya, Ayame stumbled her way to Naruto’s side. 

“He’s alive.” Tsunade smiled. “He’s going to be okay.” She took the necklace off of her neck and put it on Naruto. “And, this now belongs to him.” Ayame’s eyes were still bright white when Tsunade looked at her. Tsunade sucked in a breath. “The Chikaragan?”

“Yeah.” Ayame sighed. “It’s like the worst kept secret, apparently.” 

“Take Naruto,” Tsunade was watching the fight between her two ex-teammates. “Go far enough away that you’re safe. Leave this fight to me and Jiraiya. Understood?”

Ayame nodded. She awkwardly picked Naruto up and drug him far enough from the battlezone. The resulting battle was nothing short of amazing. The three legendary sannin fighting two against one. Naruto would be so mad he missed it. Shizune had woken up, joining Ayame in watching the chaos. 

When the last punch was thrown, and Orochimaru and Kabuto ran with their tails between their legs, the two sannin limped over to where the three were sitting. Tsunade checked Naruto over once more before Jiraiya slung him unceremoniously over his shoulder. They went back to the inn to lick their wounds and rest. 

\--

Tsunade came into the room the next morning, under the pretense of checking on Naruto, only to find both kids wrapped around each other, sound asleep. She looked at Jiraiya, raising her eyebrow. The man just shrugged. 

“This is what they do, honestly.” 

Tsunade just smiled. “Well, I guess they deserve the sleep, huh?” She motioned for him to follow her. “We have some stuff to talk about. Like why didn’t you tell me she had the Chikaragan?”

They sat on the balcony, a bottle of sake shared between the two. 

“Minori is gone.” Jiraiya said solemnly. “From what I understand, Naruto found her. Brought her to Konoha. They’ve been inseparable since.” 

“What happened?” 

“Orochimaru.” Jiraiya snorted. “I was so sure she was going to try and attack him. Thought for sure we’d lose her right there. But, her dedication to Naruto kept her from him.” 

“Was he after her?” Tsunade sat her drink down, invested in the story. 

Jiraiya nodded. “He found something better, now. He found the Uchiha.” Then, after a drink, he added, “Which is a whole new issue for you to worry about. Bastard curse marked the kid. Ayame said it’s the same mark that was in Minori before...ya know.” 

Tsunade rolled her eyes. “Well, thanks for adding more to my plate.” 

“Anytime, boss.” With that, he saluted her.

\--

Naruto woke with a start, nearly taking off Ayame’s head that was laying on his arm. When he’d passed out, he was on the battlefield, looking down at Kabuto after  _ finally _ getting the rasengan right. When he began to come to, he felt...soft. Not the hard ground of the clearing. He felt a mattress and a comforting weight on his arm. Confusion gripped him at the juxtaposition. His eyes darted around the room, wild and unfocusing. 

“Naruto…” Ayame sat up, her hands reaching out for him. 

Naruto’s wild eyes found hers. “Ayame, what happened?” 

“Everyone is okay.” Ayame began, knowing that would be his first worry. “Orochimaru and Kabuto fled.”

Naruto nodded, looking around the room again, his eyes falling on Jiraiya sleeping in the next bed. His muscles were tense, ready to fight, but seeing two of his important people safe eased him. The last thing he could remember was Jiraiya and Orochimaru fighting. Tsunade was huddled on the ground, and Shizune was passed out. Then...something happened. 

“Why did I pass out?” Naruto asked, looking down at the hands he’d charred up only days before. 

Ayame took a shaky breath. “Lady Tsunade said your heart muscles were torn...something Kabto did to you, apparently.” She felt Naruto’s eyes on her, questioning. “You almost died.” Her voice was broken, tears forming in her eyes. 

Naruto reached out, pulling her into his arms. “I’m okay, Ayame.” He had a flash of him reaching out to Tsunade’s necklace, of telling the woman he’d won the bet. 

Her fingers dug into his shirt, scratching at his back. He just held her until her body quit shaking. When Ayame pulled back, her face was mottled red, her eyes puffy and wet. 

She sniffled, but tried to smile. “You did it, though. You made the rasengan.” 

Naruto’s smile was blinding in the dim room. “Shadow clones are the greatest jutsu ever!” 

A pillow collided with his face. “Shut up, kids, and go back to sleep.” Jiraiya huffed out, his voice thick with sleep. 

They didn’t go back to sleep, they couldn’t. Instead, they stole away on the balcony, bags of snacks on the small table between them. With the door closed, the sound of their voices and laughter would, hopefully, not reach the sleeping bear that was Jiraiya. 

\--

“Nope.” Naruto sat in the diner, on the bench where he’d been a week previously, arms crossed. “I don’t think some old hag should be Hokage.” 

Tsunade’s eyes darkened. 

“Especially when she lies to everyone about her age, and can’t hold her sake, and gambles all her money away.” 

Tsunade’s hands slammed on the table, enough force to make the  _ diner _ shake. “Let’s take this outside, kid.” 

It was like deja vu. 

The two faced off in the street, Naruto’s fists balled at his side and Tsunade taunted him with just one finger. Naruto pushed off, aiming a fist right at Tsunade, which she easily dodged. With one slender index finger she flicked the Konoha headband off, hooked under his chin and pressed her lips to his forehead. 

Naruto froze. 

“Live your dream, brat.” Tsunade whispered, lowering her hand to flick the necklace he still wore. 

With a pink tinge to his cheeks, Naruto scratched the back of his head and smiled. 


	13. Chapter 13

Ayame had never been happier to see the gates of Konoha before. They had been on the road for days, only stopping when night approached and it was too dark to continue. She was tired, her feet hurt, and she wanted her own bed. Or, at least, the pillow and blanket fort. 

Naruto, on the other hand, seemed to have renewed energy. As soon as the gates came into view, Naruto took off, running and skipping his way there. 

“Tsunade-baa-chan!” He yelled, making a bee-line back toward the group. “First you’re gonna heal Sasuke, then Kakashi-sensei, then Bushy Brow, right?”

“No.” Shizune, holding onto the pig Tonton, gave him a tired smile. “First she needs to meet with the elders. She’s the Hokage, remember?”

Naruto waved her off. “Fine, but  _ then _ you’re gonna heal them, right?”

“I promised, didn’t I, brat?” Tsunade ruffled his hair as he skipped past her. 

Ayame just shook her head. How he still had energy was beyond her. 

Tsunade made quick work of finding the tower and meeting the elders. Naruto stood uncharacteristically quiet until he saw her emerge from the room. Ayame barely gripped his jacket before he tried to run toward the poor woman. 

“Let her breathe, Naruto.” Ayame remembered when her father would meet with the elders in Minori. He was always so emotionally exhausted after. 

He practically vibrated in place until Tsunade met them in the hallway. 

“Baa-chan, come on, you promised to heal my friends today!” 

Tsunade laughed, but let him lead her from the building, chattering the whole way. 

The first room they entered was Sasuke’s, where he laid motionless on the bed, his dark hair a halo around him. Sakura hid her shock well to how easy Naruto talked to one of the legendary sannin and stood back to let the woman work. Ayame took her hand, squeezing it in support. 

“She’s amazing.” Ayame whispered as Tsunade placed a glowing hand on Sasuke’s forehead. Within moments Sasuke opened his eyes, groggy but awake. 

Sakura rushed toward him, pushing Naruto out of the way and clinging to Sasuke’s neck. Naruto went from smiling to a look Ayame had never seen on his face before. The look didn’t belong on someone as bright and loud as Naruto. He sighed and turned around, exiting the room. Ayame looked between them, the way Sasuke’s unfocused gaze looked faraway while Sakura cried into his shoulder, and the way Naruto was standing outside the door, his gaze at the floor. 

He shook his head and straightened up, finding his resolve. A tanned finger reached inside the door and wiggled for Lady Tsunade to follow him. “Kaka-sensei next, Baa-chan.” 

Ayame followed along, listening to Naruto ramble about Kakashi fighting rogue ninja and getting hurt. It didn’t take long for Tsunade to heal their teacher while Guy hid behind a curtain impatiently waiting his turn. 

“Can you look at Lee, now?” Guy asked, hands fisted tight in the curtain. 

They had barely rounded the corner and saw Lee hobbling forward before Tsunade rushed Naruto and Ayame off. 

“Don’t you two have somewhere to be?”

Naruto jumped at her reminder. “Yeah, I have to meet Iruka-sensei!”

Ayame just shrugged. She really didn’t have anywhere to be. Naruto had tried talking her into getting ramen with the two of them, but she felt like Naruto’s surrogate father deserved some alone time with the kid. Instead, Ayame walked back to Kakashi’s room and took a seat, quietly telling him about their adventure. 

\--

“So,” Iruka began, looking at the young blonde devouring a bowl of ramen beside him. “How was your trip?”

“Great!” Naruto exclaimed around a mouth full of noodles. “I learned a really cool jutsu called the rasengan. Ayame can’t do it, and it makes her mad.” He snickered, missing the shocked expression on Iruka’s face. 

“The rasengan?” 

“Yeah! It’s amazing!” Naruto slurped from his bowl loudly as Iruka shook his head. If anyone could master the Fourth’s jutsu, it would be Naruto. 

Iruka smiled at him. “Why can’t Ayame do it?”

“I dunno.” Naruto sat his bowl down and rubbed over his full stomach. “Ero-sennin said she doesn’t have enough power in her chakra, or something. Her chakra control is nearly perfect, he said. That made her happy, but she’s all jealous.” 

“You two are getting pretty close, Naruto.” Iruka said with a grin. Since he’d met the girl, Naruto had talked non-stop about her. He was almost thirteen, he was at the age where girls should start to stand out to the boy. 

Naruto looked confused. “Yeah, I mean, we’re best friends. She said it, too.” 

It hurt Iruka how Naruto had to justify being friends with people by adding that they had admitted to it, too. Naruto was a sweet kid, he deserved all of the village as his friends, but he just never had that. Instead, he fought for those he did have. Until Ayame came along. He never had to fight for her attention, Ayame gave it easily. She cared about him, and showed it to the public. She wasn’t afraid to say that her and Naruto were friends, and Iruka loved that about her. 

“Yes, of course.” Iruka nodded in agreement.

\--

Ayame awoke the next morning to banging on her door. Naruto’s overenthusiastic voice filtering through the door. 

“Hold your pants on!” She yelled back, hurrying through getting ready. 

They ran out of the apartment complex, Naruto in a hurry for something she didn’t know about, when he’d nearly ran into Lee. 

“Oh, hey Lee!” Naruto was too happy early in the morning. “Did Tsunade-baa-chan see you yesterday? Did she get you all fixed up?”

It was something in his eyes, something sad and hurting, that made Ayame grab Naruto’s wrist and pull him away. 

“Take care, Lee.” She whispered as they walked by. 

Naruto looked confused when Ayame continued to pull him away. They didn’t exactly have anything to do today, just help out around the village. Why was she pulling him so fast to nowhere?

Once they rounded the corner, she stopped pulling so hard on his wrist. 

“What did I do?”

Ayame just looked at him. “Nothing, why?”

“You pulled me away from Lee. Sakura does that when I say something stupid and she doesn’t want to hit me in front of people.” Naruto kicked the ground with the tip of his sandal. 

Ayame made a mental note to tell Sakura to quit hitting Naruto. “I...I don’t think Lee got good news yesterday. He just looks sad today, like he wants to be alone. So I figured it would be better if we got moving.” 

Before Naruto could respond, Moegi and Udon came running up to them, nearly bowling the two over. 

“Naruto! Naruto! You have to help us! Konohamaru won’t come out of the Hokage’s office!” Moegi and Udon practically spoke over each other and were grabbing at Naruto’s hands. 

The four of them ran to the tower, not sure what to expect. A barricaded and booby trapped door was not on top of their list. Naruto tried yelling, bribing the young boy with ramen and toppings, but nothing worked. Ayame pulled him back and shook her head. 

“Remember he just lost his grandpa, now his grandpa is being replaced. He’s probably confused and hurting.” Ayame said gently, walking towards the door. “Konohamaru, sweetheart, no one is trying to replace him. The village just needs a new leader. No one will forget about your grandfather.” When there was still no answer, Ayame tried again. “My grandpa died, too. He used to be the leader of our village, where I’m from. When he died my dad had to take over. He changed everything, the village wasn’t the same anymore, and I hated it.” There was a sound of some scraping on the other side of the door, something being moved. “Konohamaru, I am so sorry about your grandpa. But remember, he’s not gone, not really. He’s in your memories, and he’s on the mountain. No one will ever forget him.” 

The door creaked open and a sad, crying, little boy poked his head out. His eyes locked onto Ayame and burst the rest of the way through the door, wrapping his little arms around her waist and burying his head in her stomach. 

“I miss him!” Konohamaru cried. Ayame just pet his hair and made soothing noises. 

“It’s okay,” She soothed. “It’s all gonna be alright.” 

Later that evening, after the tears had run dry, Naruto took the boy to the shrine. It was nearing sunset as the two looked at the black rock bearing the names of ninja who passed away. 

“Ayame was right.” Naruto’s voice was subdued as he spoke. The orange and purple sky loomed overhead. “No one will forget about your Hokage-jiji.”

“What if everything changes?”

Naruto looked at him. “Grandma Tsunade isn’t like that. She wouldn’t change something unless it needs changed.” 

They sat there a little longer, until the night air became too chilly for them. Naruto walked Konohamaru to his house, smiling at the young boy’s mother as she waved. When Naruto got back to the apartment, it was Ayame who opened her door and invited him in, the pillow and blanket fort already assembled. 

\-- 

They met the next morning on the bridge, the first time Naruto had Sasuke since he’d woken up. Naruto was loud and energetic, but he had a questioning look in his eyes when he watched Sasuke’s slow movements. Sakura stuck to the dark haired boy like glue, fretting over him. Ayame was leaning on the banister, in between the two boys, waiting for someone to start a fight. It, surprisingly, didn’t happen. 

Kakashi was late, but that wasn’t unusual. What was unusual was he had Jiraiya with him. Jiraiya gave them a wave, but his eyes were all wrong. Gone was the humor and happiness. It was replaced with something akin to regret. 

“Jiraiya has something to ask of you four.” Kakashi hopped up on the railing, letting Jiraiya take the stage. 

The sannin shifted uncomfortably under the four’s gaze. “Well...it’s got more to do with Ayame than you three, but…” He trailed off, uncharacteristically short of words. He took a deep breath before continuing. “I’d like your permission to get into your grandfather’s library.” 

Ayame stood, stock still, taking in what was asked of her. If it was as simple as just saying yes and the sannin be on his way, it wouldn’t be this difficult. As it stands, the library is filled with rare books and scrolls, and as such needed to be sealed away. Only an Arai by blood can open the seal. Which means she would have to go to the village. Physically see the destruction again. 

She tried to form words, but her mouth opened and closed uselessly. Finally, sounds made their way out that sounded vaguely like, “Why?”

“Your grandfather had books and scrolls on medical ninjutsu. Among other things. If Tsunade is to help that boy, Lee, she needs the information in those writings.” Jiraiya took a step forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Besides that, we wouldn’t want them to get ruined, would we? They are, technically, yours now.” 

There was a long pause. Sasuke, realizing exactly what this would feel like, stayed silent. He’d been through the rubble of the Uchiha district. He’d found things that were important, but weren’t his. Hell, he’d kept some of those things. It hurt, still to this day, to even see the gates leading into his family's district. He didn’t envy Ayame at that moment. 

Ayame was shaking. “Ya-ya...I don’t know if I can.”

The hand on her shoulder squeezed slightly. “You won’t be alone. Your team is coming with you.” 

The trip to what  _ used _ to be Minori wasn’t long. Minori was only a few kilometers from Konoha’s front gate. They prepared for an overnight stay, anyway, in case Ayame shuffled her feet. There was no running, no jumping from tree to tree. Ayame faced the ground and didn’t look up. Naruto walked beside her, close but not touching. Sasuke and Sakura walked behind them, a silent way to help Ayame keep the pace. There was gentle chatter from Jiraiya and Kakashi, but it was mostly tuned out. 

It wasn’t until they made the right turn onto a path already starting to grow over that Ayame gripped the straps of her backpack in a white knuckle grip. It wouldn’t be long, now. She’d be stepping in front of the gates she called home for twelve years of her life. 

Naruto came to a stop about half way down the path, flowers growing between the cracks and in the grass of the sun bleached dirt. He looked toward a small meadow of flowers before leaving out a ragged breath. 

“This was it, wasn’t it?” He asked no one in particular. Just a general statement. 

Sakura answered, anyway. “Yeah.” 

When Ayame looked up, a confused look on her face, Naruto explained. “This is where we found you.”

Ayame looked at the patch of wildflowers blowing in the breeze. It looked peaceful, not like it saw something tragic, or a young girl drop over, nearly dead, in the grass. 

She hadn’t spoken the whole trip, so it surprised no one when she just stared. Kakashi bent down to look her in the eye, breaking her line of sight. 

“Ayame. You can do this.” 

She gave a brisk nod before reaching out to grab Naruto’s hand. Sakura took her other hand, and grabbed Sasuke’s with her free one. The four walked down the path, side by side, in silence. 

When the gates loomed ahead, broken and dilapidated, Ayame’s feet tripped over themselves, skidding to a stop. 

“Wait.” The first words she’d said. “Just...just let me.” 

The group stopped, allowing Ayame’s breathing to calm down and her eyes to become focused. Then, with a nod, she pushed onward. 

Memories flooded her, pushed the young girl back into a previous life. Children running, people talking, stalls full of food and wares. A sign upright in the middle of the path, a small two year old’s handprint in purple paint decorating one corner. The house she lived in, the main house for the lord of the village, standing tall and proud at one end. 

Now, there was nothing. Rubble, debris, and broken, shattered things everywhere. The sign weathered and broken, lay in front of her. She bent over, placing a hand over the faded purple handprint. 

“This is mine.” She whispered, her throat feeling clogged with emotion. Ayame stood up, looking around at the mess around her. “This stall,” She pointed at a red roof lying awkwardly on the ground, “used to sell the  _ best _ dango.” She pointed at another building. “I used to buy these stupid keychains from them. They were these cute animals, I think I had all of them.” Tears threatened to fall, but she held them back. She could do this. “My grandpa’s place is this way.” 

Naruto stood so close to her their shoulders brushed as they walked. He kept looking at her like she was something fragile, something ready to break. Maybe she was. She felt that one thing would throw her over the edge. And they were nearing it. 

In the Uchiha district, there was the Naka Shrine, a place where Sasuke hated to go but knew that he would eventually  _ have _ to enter. For Ayame, it was her grandfather’s hidden library. The library was hidden under her grandfather’s house, which now lay in ruins, what remained of the roof laid haphazardly on the ground. It took some digging, but Ayame eventually found what she was looking for. An old rug laid over a metal door. The door itself was decorated by symbols, a seal that would only work for an Arai. 

Ayame bit her thumb, letting the blood rush from her. She slid it across the seal and watched as it lit up. She could hear something turning, something clicking, and then the metal door swung free. Jiraiya did a couple of hand signs and an orb of light filled his palm. Ayame stood still, afraid to move. She got them this far, couldn’t they do the rest by themselves?

Instead of being free to stand there, she was gently coaxed down the stairs. It wasn’t long before she realized why. There were seals littering the walls, all traps requiring her blood to undo. It was slow moving as she painstakingly undid what felt like a dozen seals. And then they finally made it to the basement. Another door stood in their way, which Ayame undid, then stood back. This was it. This was the actual door to the actual room and Ayame was actually going to cry. 

She barely had one foot in the room before turning her heels. She ran right into Sasuke, who caught her, holding her tightly. He’d felt the same way before, frozen in fear before something related to his clan. She broke, sobbing into his shoulder. Sasuke held onto her, not moving. Jiraiya looked at her with pity before entering the room. Sasuke waved the other three in the door, a silent agreement to take care of Ayame. The redhead had her hands fisted in his shirt as she let the day's events out in a flood of tears and emotions. Her whole body shook with the release. 

Jiraiya let out a low whistle of awe when he saw the shelves and tables lined with books and scrolls. Ayame’s grandfather, Jakken, had amassed quite a collection in his years. He’d loved to travel, and always made sure to pick up something, or document something, on his way. It wasn’t until his granddaughter was born that he settled down. 

“There has to be a storage scroll somewhere…” Jiraiya was pulling out scrolls as he talked, looking for the one he knew Jakken had hidden. 

Kakashi, afraid to touch anything, just walked around, looking. He eyed a couple books on sealing and one on the Sharingan. The wealth of knowledge in this place must have been vast, and it looked completely intact. 

Sakura zeroed in on the medical ninjutsu section, always finding the subject fascinating. Naruto, however, got lost in scrolls that contained weapons. The weapon they held drew, in painstaking detail, on the label. 

Ayame, finally gaining control of herself, and realizing she was clinging to the poor Uchiha like he was a lifeline, pulled away. She looked at his face, and didn’t see the pity she was fearing. She saw  _ understanding _ , like he’d been through this before. 

And, it hit her, Sasuke  _ had _ done this before, hadn’t he?

“This...it’s not easy…” Sasuke knew he wasn’t good at words, unless he was insulting someone. “I was too young for-- after the--” He paused. How, after all these years, was it still so hard to talk about? “Do you want to go back out?”

Ayame shook her head. No, she’d stay here. She had her team, her friends, and people who understood. She could do this. 

“I, uh, got your shirt all wet.” Ayame plucked at the wet spots on Sasuke’s shoulder. 

“It’s fine.” Sasuke shrugged it off. At least it was only tears. Sasuke can’t keep the contents of his stomach if he goes too close to the Uchiha gates. 

He watched as Ayame took a few breaths, trying to find her resolve. She snatched his hand, held in a firm grip, before steeling herself. After a few false starts, Sasuke let her lead him through the doors. 

No one looked at her with the pity she feared. Naruto smiled at her, motioning toward a large scroll with a huge scythe-like weapon drew on it. 

“This is badass! Where did he find this?”

Jiraiya turned around, ready to scold Naruto for messing with the scrolls. Upon eyeing Ayame, he waved her over. “Do you know where the storage scrolls are?”

She refused to let go of Sasuke, even after he relaxed his hand to give her the option. Instead, she just dragged him along. He resigned himself to being her support and walked along. 

The whole room was set with desks and bookshelves. Every inch was covered in scrolls or books, ink pots and quills, loose parchment and blank scrolls strewn around. Underneath the desks were boxes and chests containing even more information. The amount of knowledge in that room, alone, was dizzying. Ayame bent down and pulled a box out from under one of the large desks. She pulled out a scroll decorated in red and black edging, and threw it toward Jiraiya. 

“They are all in this box.” 

Kakashi clapped his hands. “Alright, kids, let’s get this all packed up then.” He glanced at Ayame. “Yeah?”

She could leave it here. She could seal this place back up and never come here again, let it be a tomb of knowledge. She could say that, let Jiraiya find the book for Lee, and never have to deal with the emotions this place evoked. She  _ could _ . They wouldn’t fight her, surely. They’d let this be her decision. 

Sasuke squeezed her hand gently. 

Reality slammed back into her. Sealing this room away would be sealing her grandpa’s memory. Sealing this room away would be akin to tossing away his life’s work. She couldn’t do that, not to her beloved grandfather. Instead, she steeled herself. 

“I...I want you to promise me something.” She looked from Kakashi to Jiraiya. “I don’t want this to go into the archive and I can’t ever see it again. You said this is  _ mine _ , right? I can decide who gets to see what?”

Jiraiya put his hands on her shoulders, leaning down to eye level. “This is  _ yours _ , Ayame. This goes with you. If you never want to take this stuff from the storage scrolls until you’re in your nineties, you can. What you’re doing right now, allowing people in here, allowing us to paw through your stuff just to find a book that  _ could  _ help, is amazing. But no one is minimizing the pain this is causing you. The people standing in this room are the only ones who know the depth of what’s in here. And we will take the knowledge to the grave if that’s what you want.” 

The tears began to pool in her eyes again as he talked. In the few short months she’d known these people, they’d proven time and time again they were her friends, that they would always be there. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Yeah, she could do this. 

“Then we’re gonna have to teach them how to use a storage scroll.” 

Jiraiya smirked, pointing his thumb toward Naruto. “You teach blondie. He listens better to you.” 

Naruto squawked, yelling at Jiraiya, but Sakura grabbed him by the collar, cutting him off. Instead, she maneuvered all four of them together into a group hug. 

“I think we all need this.” She said quietly as they sandwiched Ayame between them. 

It took them over two hours to categorize and condense. Even after that they ended up with a handful of storage scrolls shoved in Ayame’s backpack. They all kept something out, however, for on the walk home. Kakashi found a book that detailed how to make a healing temple. Jiraiya found one that described using nature energy and molding it into chakra. Sakura was stuck on this medical book about field healing and had loudly exclaimed that she’d need to learn this because  _ you assholes get hurt so often! _ The book about Sharingan was handed off to Sasuke. 

It was probably Naruto who surprised everyone by grabbing a book on sealing. For some strange reason, he just...understood it. The poles and planes and symbols had all made perfect sense to him. Only Jiraiya didn’t seem  _ that _ surprised, which confused Ayame to no end. 

If Ayame was dragging her feet on the way there, everyone was dragging them on the way back. Too engrossed in their books to pay attention to the surroundings. That  _ might _ be why only Ayame felt the bandits before anyone did. 

“Um...we’re being followed.” She spoke, softly. Naruto, who was walking beside her, raised his eyes off the page he was on. 

“How did we miss that?”

Ayame snorted. “Too interested in your books, you nerds.” 

It was the first time she’d made a joke all day, but being out of Minori and away from the reminders of her previous life did make her feel lighter. The four of them walked side by side down the path, the two teachers following behind. As Kakashi made some comment about how he totally knew they were there, and was just waiting for the kids to notice, a ninja from Kiri dropped in front of them. 

The four genin (maybe chunin, it wasn’t fully decided yet) jumped in the formation Kakashi had drilled into them. It was a little altered, since Ayame joined them, making the triangle more of a diamond shape. The Kiri ninja laughed, watching them scramble. 

“How cute.” The ninja’s voice was deep as it cut through the silence of the forest. “But you are all below my level.” Then, with a glint in his eyes, he added, “I’m just here for the girl, anyway.” 

“You’ll have to be more specific.” Kakashi stood, looking bored. “There are two girls here.” 

With a roll of his dark brown eyes, the Kiri ninja answered. “Little Red.” 

Ayame’s eyes snapped to his. “Why?”

At that, he just  _ laughed. _ “Why else? I want your eyes.” 

For months, Ayame had been waiting for someone to find her. Her power was known, now. People talked about the girl who can make the glowing blue force fields. Here he was, a man from Kiri ready to kill her for her eyes. She feared it would be in the village where innocent people would be attacked. Now it was here with her friends, Kakashi, and Jiraiya. 

“You do realize we have a famous jonin and a sannin here with us, right?” Sakura mused, a smirk on her face. 

The ninja laughed. “No, what you have is a washed up hasbeen and an old man who harasses women.” He pulled a sword from behind his back and pointed it directly at Ayame. “And, as for you, those eyes are mine.” 

The speed in which Kakashi jumped in front of her, stopping the sword with a kunai, was impressive. Sasuke and Naruto flanked the Kiri ninja, taking the focus off of Kakashi for a moment. Ayame threw out a force field, catching a devastating kick from colliding with Sasuke’s stomach. She was getting better at timing and placement. Sakura stood close to her, not getting involved in the fight, but making sure Ayame was safe. 

The man took a wide swipe with his sword, catching Sasuke in the side. He went down, blood forming a dark stain on his shirt. The same wide swing got Naruto in the shoulder, cutting a slice neatly through the seam of his jacket. 

Ignoring Jiraiya’s telling her to  _ stay away _ , Ayame ran to Sasuke and Naruto, checking if they were okay. The guy was too focused on Kakashi to see her move. She held a hand to Sasuke’s side, trying to stop the increasing flow of blood. Naruto was already beginning to heal. 

“Ayame, you got him?” Naruto didn't wait for a response before joining the fray again. He brought out a clone before forming the rasengan. It hit square on his chest, the man spinning in the air before his back collided with the ground. 

Sakura was digging medical supplies out of her bag, helping Ayame with stopping the bleeding enough to get Sasuke home. 

“This is going to sound weird,” Jiraiya knelt down beside them after doing absolutely nothing in the fight. “Can you put a small force field around the gash here? To contain the bleeding until we get back to Konoha?”

That...was crazy enough it might work. With a look to Sasuke for approval, Ayame put a hand over the gash and focused. A small force field formed over Sasuke’s skin, slipping underneath it. The bleeding stopped pouring out. 

“I...I can’t believe that worked.” Ayame stuttered out as Sasuke was pulled up and carried on Kakashi’s back. “I’ll have to stay close, though. I don't know how far my power stretches.” 


	14. Chapter 14

Sasuke sat in his hospital bed, side stitched up, feeling useless. The thoughts in his head, the ones Ayame had warned him about, were rearing their ugly head. Why did that slice in Naruto’s shoulder not slow him down? Why was Naruto consistently stronger than him? Sasuke had learned chidori first. How did Naruto learn whatever he called his so fast? How did he learn it at all? How did the kid who failed at everything in the academy get as strong as he did as fast as he did? It wasn’t fair. 

Sasuke hit the wall with his fist, denting the plaster. He was getting sloppy. He was letting his feelings control him, again. Making friends, which he didn’t need. They slowed him down. He couldn’t beat Itachi on his own, yet. And Konoha wouldn’t make him strong enough. Even Kakashi couldn’t take down Itachi, so what would he be able to teach him?

He didn’t need a team. He needed to be stronger. He needed the weapons and books and scrolls Ayame got from her grandfather. He could use her to get the strength he needed. 

Latching on to the memory of Ayame crying on his shoulder, Sasuke shuddered. He was getting too close to this team. He was getting too close to people in general. 

His brain was kicking into overdrive as he heard the door open. His team was coming in, but he didn’t want them in there. He wanted them to leave. To let him commiserate in peace. 

“Sasuke?”

Ayame’s timid voice rang out in the quiet of the room. She was leaning down, face in his line of sight. Sakura had apples, neatly sliced on a plate in front of her, hand paused just before picking one up. All bright and orange, Naruto leaned over the foot of the bed, looking concerned, but otherwise healthy. Why was he up and walking around? He should have a bandaged shoulder. 

“Why?” Sasuke growled out. “Why aren’t you in a bed?”

Naruto just cocked his head to the side. “I, uh, heal quickly.”

Sasuke pushed Ayame away from him, leaving the young girl startled. 

“Don’t lie to me. What are you? How can you do that?”

Ayame didn’t take to being pushed around well, and she didn’t take to Sasuke asking Naruto what he was well either. “Sasuke, what the fuck?”

“Shut up!”

Ayame’s eyes got wide before she slapped him. “I told you that mark would control you. You said you would talk to sensei.” 

Sasuke was up out of bed, ignoring the jolt of pain in his side. “I told you to stay out of it. I told you to leave me alone.” Sasuke took a step toward her, but Naruto put himself between them. 

“Sasuke, what is wrong with you?” The surprise was written all over Naruto’s face. “She’s our friend, our teammate, you can’t talk to her like that.”

“No,” Sasuke stepped forward until he was nearly chest to chest with Naruto. “She’s nothing.” Before Ayame could open her mouth, Sasuke looked Naruto up and down. “Fight me.” 

“What?” Sakura stood up, plate of apples forgotten. “You’re still hurt, Sasuke.”

“Fuck that.” Sasuke was still staring straight in Naruto’s eyes. “Fight me.”

There was a tense standoff, neither of them moved, or even blinked. Then, Naruto chuckled. 

“Sure, Sasuke. I’ll fight you. I’ll beat your ass for how you talked to Ayame.” 

Ayame went around Naruto and pushed the two boys apart. “No, absolutely not. This is all the seal mark. This isn’t you, Sasuke.” She glanced at Sakura, who must have read something in her eyes and ran from the room. “Please, Sasuke, sit down.”

“Stop telling me what to do!” He grabbed at his shoulder, the seal mark coming to life. Whatever Kakashi had done to it couldn’t stop the seal forever. It was bound to Sasuke's willpower, and that was quickly fading. “I’m so tired of people telling me what to do and how to think. Everyone thinks I’m weak.” 

“No one said you’re weak. None of us.” Naruto was confused. He constantly said that Sasuke was his rival because of his strength. “Why would I make you my rival if you were weak?”

“Where is this coming from?” Ayame tried, again, to get Sasuke to look at her. “Is all this because of Itachi?” Sasuke’s eyes snapped to hers, hate clouding them. “Because you couldn’t defeat him?”

“Kakashi couldn’t defeat him.” Sasuke spat. “I did  _ nothing _ to him. I’m still not strong enough and I will never be if I stay here.” 

Ayame couldn’t believe what he was saying. “And you think going with that psycho Orochimaru will make you strong enough? What about asking for help? We would help you.” 

“I will do this on my own.” 

“Why? Why does it have to be you?” Sakura grabbed his face in her hands, ignoring the way he stiffened under her grasp. “You don’t always have to be alone, Sasuke.”

Naruto fisted his hands at his sides, realizing what the situation was really about. “Maybe I should have helped you. I just stood there, doing nothing. I should have done something, Sasuke. I’m sorry.” 

The honesty in Naruto’s voice was like a punch to the gut. Sasuke deflated, sitting down. Sakura rounded the doorframe, Kakashi and Jiraiya in tow. 

“I found them.” She said, breathless. 

The tension in the room could be cut through. 

“What’s going on here?” Kakashi drawled, seemingly unfazed. 

“The curse seal is acting up.” Ayame got a glare from Sasuke, but kept going. “Please, Jiraiya.” 

The white haired man clip-clopped over to Sasuke, eyeing the curse seal warily. “Well, what do we have here?” He pulled the shirt collar further so he could see all of it. “Nicely done, Kakashi, but I think we can do one better.”

“Like remove it?” Ayame had hope in her voice. 

Jiraiya shook his head. “Removing it could kill him.” He snapped his fingers. “With the help of some of those books we got, Ayame, I might be able to figure something out.” 

“Whichever book you need, use it. Just help Sasuke.”

The way she said it, the honesty in her voice, shook Sasuke from head to toe. She would honestly do anything to help him. The conversation of keeping the information all to herself, not sharing it with anyone she didn’t deem worthy floated through his head. She was letting Jiraiya and Kakashi use the scrolls and book to help him. She didn’t even hesitate, just openly allowed it. It pulled at his heart in a way he hadn’t felt in years. Not since Itachi…

“Well,” Kakashi clapped his hands together. “I suggest Sasuke not being alone tonight. So, Team 7 Sleepover!”

And that is how the four of them ended up in Naruto’s small apartment surrounding his small table. It surprised them all when Sasuke actually agreed to the arrangement. Ayame thought he maybe just didn’t want to be alone with his thoughts. They had to think of  _ something _ to keep Sasuke’s mind off the curse seal and revenge and Orochimaru, and put it on something more positive.

Sakura opened the door to a new topic as if reading Ayame’s mind. 

“Ayame, would it be okay if I looked at a couple of your medical ninjutsu books? The one I have is so interesting! I think I could actually do this if I practiced.” 

“Oh! Oh! Can we bring out a couple of the weapons, too?” Naruto was bouncing his leg in excitement. 

Within minutes Naruto’s entire apartment was filled with weapons, scrolls, and books. They were attempting to put them some semblance of order, but it was hard to do when they wanted to read and touch it all. Naruto had already hooked the huge scythe he’d been eyeing earlier in his blanket, slicing the side. 

“Careful, idiot.” Sasuke scolded, putting his nose back into a book about swords. 

Naruto stuck his tongue out at him, but did seal the scythe back up. Within the short time they’d been using these seals, Naruto seemed to have a knack for them and picked up sealing and unsealing very easily. Unfortunately for him, Jiraiya and Kakashi had taken all the books and scrolls on the topic, or Naruto probably could have learned a lot more. It just seemed to come naturally for him, but they had yet to understand the reason. 

Ayame, who was always interested in history and the way the world interconnected, picked up a shinobi history book. She was in the middle of reading about the wars when she ran across a village she’d never heard of. 

“Hey...has anyone ever heard of Uzushio?” Ayame laid the book down on the table, pointing to the chapter she was on.

“No, never.” Sakura leaned over the book, reading the passage. “It was destroyed? And not that long ago, either.” 

“Yeah, apparently people were afraid of their power. But, look here, their symbol is the same as on the Leaf flak jackets.” She turned the book around to show the red spiral symbol that was so familiar here. 

Naruto caught her eye when he gripped his stomach over his jacket. “What was their power?”

“Sealing, apparently.” Sakura answered, eyes focused on the book in front of her. 

The look on Naruto’s face made Ayame wish she didn’t bring it up. He looked like he was going to be sick. So, instead, she tried to change the subject. 

“Sasuke, learn anything about your Sharingan?” She motioned toward the book laying in front of him. Sasuke gave her a noncommittal sound. “Alright, that sounds great, Sasuke.” He sent a glare in her direction. “Sakura, how about you?”

As Sakura prattled on about the medical scroll she was currently pouring over, Naruto seemed deep in thought. 

That swirl design is the same one on his stomach. It’s in the same seal keeping the demon fox inside him. Was that a coincidence or did someone in this forgotten village put this seal on him? He never really understood what happened, or how it came to be on him. Naruto wanted to reach out for that book, he wanted to throw the book out the window. Instead, he just sat there, one hand fisted in his jacket and the other gripping the edge of the table. 

“Naruto?” It was Sasuke. The first time he’d said something willingly all day. “You’re going to break the table, idiot.” 

When he looked down, he saw the table beginning to crack under his fingers. He snatched his hand away as if it was burned. “Sorry.” He muttered out. 

Instead of bringing more attention to him, he pulled out a seal with a long sword sketched into the label. When he ran this thumb against the seal, out popped the sword which was even prettier than on the sketch. Long and black with a red dragon engraved into the handle and sheath. Sasuke’s eyes immediately snapped to it. 

“Can I see that?” Sasuke asked, setting his book on the Sharingan down. Naruto handed it over. Sasuke took it gently in his hand, pulling the shining sword out of its sheath. He ran his hand over the metal, watching as it shined in the dim lights of Naruto’s apartment. “It’s different. The metal is different.” 

Naruto looked down at the scroll, reading the fine print there. “Carbon steel mixed with silver. Then coated in more silver for conductivity.” 

“Conductivity?” Sakura leaned over the table, eyeing the scroll. 

“Lightning.” Sasuke breathed out. “It’s made for people with lightning affinity.” 

Ayame let realization hit her. “You can do the chidori, so you have that affinity. It’s, what, your secondary?” Sasuke nodded, still eyeing the sword. “Sasuke, darling, why don’t you keep the sword. You honestly are eyeing it like you’re gonna have some steamy sex with it.” 

Sakura burst out laughing. 

“Fuck you.” It lacked the heat Sasuke would usually put behind it, and there may have been a slight smirk on his face if you squint. He pulled the sword down on his lap, one hand constantly kept on the sheath. “Thank you.” He said quietly. 

Ayame smiled. “You’re welcome.” 

Naruto slid the scroll the sword was sealed into toward Sasuke. “In case you wanna hide it or whatever.” 

They sat there well into the night, going through books and scrolls until their eyes were sore. It wasn’t until Sakura began yawning that the group decided to go to bed. Using everything in both Naruto and Ayame’s apartments, including both of their futons, became the ultimate pillow and blanket fort. 

“We do this all the time.” Ayame explained as they expertly assembled. Sakura and Sasuke stood back and watched. 

With his arms crossed, Sasuke shook his head. “You really think I’m going to sleep there?”

“Then sleep on the floor.” Ayame shot back, throwing a handful of pillows in the fort. Sasuke bristled, but didn’t move. “Honestly, Sasuke, we’re doing this as much for you as we are doing it for us. Just...just please lay down and sleep next to us. We don’t bite.” 

Naruto poked his head out of the fort. “Come on, Sasuke. Ayame’s making pancakes.” 

Ayame just looked at him. “I am?” Naruto just shrugged. 

Ayame made pancakes. 

Sasuke loved them, even if he didn’t admit it. 

\--

Sasuke woke up before anyone else. The slow, even breathing and light snores of his teammates were almost calming if he would let it be. It was scary how easily they could get under his skin, into his heart. It constricted around his chest, like a boa wrapped around his prey, squeezing until he couldn’t breathe. 

_ No one said you’re weak. None of us. _

He could hear Naruto’s voice in his head. Of everything he and Naruto say to each other, all of the taunting and teasing, Naruto never said he was weak. If anything, the blonde wants Saskue to acknowledge that they were equal in strength. He’d told Naruto how weak Sasuke thought he was lots of times. But...was Naruto actually weak? There have been so many times Naruto looked defeated, but came flying back into the fray, energy and strength seemingly renewed. How did he do that?

He glanced at the blonde, lying in the pillow fort with Ayame on his arm. Then he saw Naruto’s blue eyes crack open, a soft smile on his face as he brushed some flyaway red hair away from his nose. Sasuke watched him wiggle around until he got his arm free, rubbing it fiercely in an effort to bring the numb arm back to life. 

Their eyes met, black on blue, for a moment before Naruto maneuvered out of the fort. 

“Why are you awake?” Naruto asked, punctuating it with a yawn. “It’s warmer in there.”

Sasuke snorted. “Too warm for me.”

Naruto walked into his small kitchen, grabbing a glass of water before leaning on the counter. After taking a long sip, he smacked his lips and sat the glass down. “Feeling any better?” 

Sasuke wasn’t sure if he meant mentally or physically, but decided to just shrug for an answer. It was about as noncommittal an answer as he could give, but he didn’t really have the ability to voice all of his thoughts at that moment. Besides that, they weren’t alone. And Ayame had a knack for reading him and Sasuke hoped that ability hadn’t rubbed off on Naruto. Instead, he decided to counter with a burning question of his own. 

“Why do you heal so fast?”

He watched as Naruto’s eyes widened and his hand immediately went to grip the shirt over his stomach. “Um…I, uh…” He glanced at the pillow fort, Sasuke wasn’t sure if it was for a distraction, or he was looking to Ayame for help. 

It was Sakura who caused the distraction, crawling out of the pillow fort and heading toward the bathroom. Naruto used Sakura waking up as an excuse to start breakfast. 

Sasuke was patient until after breakfast was over, after helping the blonde make it without burning the apartment down. 

As they sat at the table, the girls discussing their ideas for the day, Sasuke decided to bring it up again. If Naruto wanted Ayame, his glorified security blanket, then he’d let the kid have it. 

“You didn’t answer my question earlier, Naruto.” Sasuke reminded him, hands idly tracing the dragon pattern on his new sword. “Why do you heal so fast?”

Ayame and Sakura glanced between them. 

Again, Naruto stuttered and mumbled, trying to get out of the conversation, but Sasuke’s eyes had him pinned down. 

“That’s a good question, Naruto.” Sakura leaned her elbows on the table. “Things that should take people  _ days _ to heal from, you heal in hours.”

“I, uh...I don’t want you guys to hate me.” Naruto looked as defeated as his voice sounded. 

“Why would we hate you?” Sakura asked, genuinely curious. 

Naruto looked down, his hands worrying the hem of his sleep shirt. “I, uh...well...I have the Kyuubi sealed inside me. I found out before I became a genin. I think he’s why I heal so fast.” 

Sakura and Sasuke’s eyes went wide. Ayame reached over and grabbed his hand. 

“Wait.” Sakura sat back. “You’re a jinchuriki?”

“That...that makes sense.” Sasuke breathed out, eyes unfocused. “The healing, the bouts of strength when you should be tapped out…”

“I...I already knew, Naruto.” Ayame said softly. “I wasn’t sure if  _ you _ knew, so I didn’t say anything.” 

Naruto’s eyes snapped to hers. “How?”

“The seal.” Ayame pointed toward his stomach. “When you were training with Jiraiya, it was showing. I asked him and he actually told me.” 

“Who else knows and never told me? I know Iruka-sensei knows. He said no one was allowed to tell me.” 

Sasuke looked surprised at all the information. “When did it...happen?”

“I don’t know.”

Sakura was staring at the table, a look of concentration on her face. “Is that why...Naruto, is that why the adults treat you differently? Why us kids were always told not to play with you?”

Naruto just shrugged. 

“What?” Ayame asked, looking between Sakura and Sasuke. “What is wrong with people in this village?”

Sakura shook her head. “Well, that’s stupid, isn’t it? Just because the fox is  _ inside  _ you doesn’t mean you  _ are _ the fox. You’re still just Naruto.” 

“Can you control it?” Sasuke asked. “Like, does he give you power?”

“Sometimes?” Naruto shrugged. “If I’m completely out of my chakra, or if I’m scared, I can sometimes pull his chakra out. Like my chakra is blue and it’s chakra is red.” 

“So, that day on the bridge,” Sasuke looked like he just finished the hardest puzzle in his life. “With Haku. I almost died and you just...took off. Broke the ice mirrors. That was the fox?”

Again, Naruto shrugged. “Yeah, I think. I was scared because you saved me and you, um...yeah.” 

“The chunin exams.” Sakura breathed out. “When you fought Neji, that last minute burst of chakra…”

“Gaara.” Sasuke added. “You saved us from Gaara with him, too.” 

Naruto was stunningly silent, unless answering a question. He was still nervously glancing at Sasuke, wanting to know how he felt about it, but unwilling to ask. Would they think of him as a bigger freak, now that they know. Would they want to change teams, no longer be in contact with him? Would they tell everyone else, make himself a bigger pariah than he already was?

“Sakura’s right, idiot.” Sasuke cut through his thoughts. “We don’t feel any different about you. It’s just a lot of stuff makes sense now.” 

That was a huge weight off of his shoulders. Naruto sagged in relief, smiling from ear to ear. 

\--

Training was more fun, especially when they each had a jutsu scroll spread out on the grass, learning intently from it. 

“I think I want to ask Lady Tsunade to train me in medical jutsu.” Sakura thought out loud. “My chakra control should be good enough, right?”

“Go for it.” Naruto smiled. “I’m sure you’ll be amazing, Sakura!” 

Sasuke eyed the motions sketched into his scroll, copying how the drawn man was holding the sword. He would slowly go through the movements, but the sword refused to move with the same fluidity. 

“Maybe it’s too long?” Ayame offered. Sasuke shook his head and readied his stance again. 

“No, I’ll get it.” 

Naruto had pulled out three-pronged kunai, whirling them around in his hands, getting used to the feel of the heavy metal. The first one he flung at the post dropped too low, the weight pulled his trajectory down. The next one hit the paper target, but barely. A little more practice and he’d get there. 

Ayame held her scroll at arms length, so she could see all of the hand signs at once. It was a scroll on wind jutsus. Something called a wind scythe she wanted to try. Her grandfather had tested her affinity at a young age, so she knew her primary was wind. She had just hoped this would be within her abilities. 

By the time Kakashi had made an appearance, Naruto could hit the target dead center, Sasuke made using the sword look nearly natural, and Ayame could use the wind scythe to take down three of Naruto’s clones in one go. Sakura was leaning against a tree, practicing gathering chakra in her hands to act as a scalpel. 

Kakashi stood there staring at his team, all four of them in their own world with whatever they chose to learn. He was proud of them. There was no bickering, no petty fighting. Just four kids finding their paths in the world. 

“Looks like you don’t need me today.” He flickered on top of the log Naruto was throwing his three-pronged kunai at. 

Naruto looked at him, suddenly looking deathly serious. “Sensei, can I ask you something? Did you know about me? About the Kyuubi?”

Kakashi’s eyes widened. “Naruto? How do you know about it?”

“Mizuki told me.” Naruto didn’t elaborate. He didn’t go into the whole story of the man attempting to kill him or nearly killing Iruka. Besides, Kakashi probably knew the truth already, anyway.

“Oh.” Kakashi was speechless. He wasn’t sure where to go from there, but he always valued the truth over lies. “Yes, Naruto, I did know. We were sworn to secrecy to protect you.” 

“Yeah, cause that fucking worked.” Ayame said under her breath. “Has no one been paying attention to how the village treats him?”

“Ayame…” Naruto tried to placate her, but Ayame was on a roll, now. 

“Lord Third did Naruto no favors. The whole idea of everyone  _ but _ Naruto knowing was stupid. There were so many other ways to go about this. Like, oh I don’t know, telling  _ Naruto _ but not telling  _ everyone else _ , maybe? Or, hell, protecting him better? I mean, for the love of the gods, sensei, he can’t walk down the damn street without someone running their mouth. And he won’t let me physically hurt them!”

Naruto grabbed her arm, yanking it hard, making Ayame shut up. She was out of breath and shaking with pent up frustration. She was just waiting for a moment like this, the moment Naruto would tell everyone about the Kyuubi and she wouldn’t have to hide how she felt anymore. 

Kakashi just hung his head, shame showing on his face. “You’re right, Ayame. It’s about time we told Naruto everything.” Then, with a withering sigh, he sat down on the grass and motioned for them to do the same. “Naruto, if this would rather be told to you in private, I can have the other three leave.”

“No.” Naruto shook his head. “They’re my friends and my team, they deserve to know.” He said it without hesitation, without any other thought entering his mind. 

Naruto’s team took turns looking at him, a mixture of emotions in his group. Sasuke couldn’t believe, after everything he’d said and done to the blonde, the harsh words and too aggressive fights, the kid would just trust him like that. Explicitly. It was almost...humbling, in Sasuke’s eyes. Ayame sat down, stubbornly, beside Naruto. A solid rock in, what was sure to be, a turbulent event unfolding. There was a rustle as Sakura sat her medical scroll aside and scooted closer to the group. 

Kakashi weaved a story they all knew the basics of. The night of the Kyuubi attack was burned into the memories of many villagers, civilians and shinobi alike. The way it rampaged, the nine tails breaking through buildings as if they were made of paper, the way it stomped on any human that tried to control it, was terrifying. Kakashi told them about the many villagers who are still in therapy to this day, or carved into the memorial stone, due to the sheer devastation it caused. 

Then, the bombshell dropped. 

“Your parents, Naruto, sealed the Kyuubi inside of you. The Fourth Hokage and his wife, Kushina Uzumaki.” Kakashi paused, giving the kid time to let everything sink in. 

It was Sasuke who spoke first. “Naruto’s father is the Fourth Hokage?”

Kakashi nodded, waiting for Naruto to do something, to show he was okay. But Naruto didn’t know if he was okay or not. His own parents sent him down this road of pain and misery. His own parents put a devastating power inside of their infant son. How could they? How could any parent do that to their child?

“What happened next?” Naruto’s voice was deceivingly calm in the silence. 

“It was the only way to save the village, Naruto. Your father used the Reaper Death Seal to seal the Kyuubi inside you, but it used both of their souls as tribute. That seal on your stomach, it’s of your father’s invention. A tweaked version of a seal made explicitly to hold a bijuu inside of a human host.”

“Wait.” Ayame interrupted. “There are more, right? More bijuu running around? Because Gaara, he is a jinchuriki, too.” 

“There are nine total.” Kakashi agreed. “Gaara has the ichibi. But they are not running around, Ayame. They’ve all been trapped inside a host.” 

Naruto had a strange look on his face, like he’d eaten something bad. Kakashi didn’t have much more to the story to add, but was ready for the onslaught of questions he was sure was coming. 

“If my mother was an Uzumaki, are there more?” Naruto asked. “Like, I have other family?”

“There is certainly a chance.” Kakashi agreed. “The village your mother was from was destroyed shortly after she arrived here, during the second ninja war. The village was friendly, and I’m sure survivors fled, hiding out in various villages where they were welcomed. They were known for sealing jutsu, excelled in it, honestly. ”

Ayame and Sakura shared a glance at each other. “Uzushiogakure?”

Kakashi just blinked. “How did you two know that?”

“Some of the books Ayame brought back had the history of the Elemental Nations in them. One of them mentioned that village and none of us ever learned about it.” Sakura’s voice showed the excitement she was feeling, putting a story behind the name. “So, you’re saying Naruto’s family is from there, then?”

Kakashi nodded, still stunned they knew. 

“And Naruto might have some family from his clan somewhere?” Sasuke spoke up, the first time since Kakashi told the story. 

Naruto just breathed out, “I have a clan.” 

Holding up his hand, Kakashi stopped the line of questioning. “Let’s let Naruto’s brain catch up, shall we? This is a lot to take in all of a sudden.” 

Sakura, Sasuke and Ayame all gathered in a half circle in front of Naruto. A silent agreement that they were there in case Naruto needed them. The only movement Naruto made was to put his head in his hands, resting his elbows on his knees. He was shaking. Kakashi, who knew he wasn’t good at emotions, or handling other people’s emotions, wasn’t sure what to do, but did get up and walk behind Naruto. He leaned down and placed a hand on the kid’s shoulder. 

“It’s okay to be angry, Naruto. It’s okay to want to hate and scream and kick. No one will blame you. No one will judge you.” 

The three genin nodded in agreement. 

“Honestly, Naruto, we’re probably pissed enough for you, too, so let it out if you need to.” Sakura attempted a smile. Naruto was still looking at the ground. 

“I just…” Naruto trailed off. “Why?” He scrubbed one hand over his face, then gripped into his hair. “That’s the only thing running through my mind. Why?” The grip on his hair tightened. “Why me? Why did no one tell me? Hokage-jiji knew and he told me fuck all. Just a ‘ _ you’ll be okay _ ’ and ‘ _ ignore them _ ’ but never told me anything else. Why?”

Naruto’s breathing picked up, becoming labored. The hand in his hair tightened even harder. Ayame reached out, placing a soft hand on his. 

“Naruto, let go of your hair.” She gently tugged at his fingers, the white knuckle grip holding tight against his scalp. “C’mon, you’re gonna pull your hair out.” 

When Naruto still didn’t budge, Sasuke grabbed his shoulders, shaking him lightly. “Naruto. Come on, idiot.” Bright blue eyes, shimmering with unspent emotion, glanced up at Sasuke’s. “We’re right here. We’re not going anywhere.” 

The fingers loosened a bit, allowing Ayame to pry them apart, strands of hair stuck to the skin, pulled out by the root. “That’s it, Naruto. Breathe, please.” The beginning of a panic attack was diverted, but the emotion was still there. Ayame pulled him into a fierce hug while Naruto let the tears run. “It’s okay, Naruto. You’re allowed to cry over this.” 

Kakashi stood up, stretching his legs. “I broke a law by telling you. But you do deserve to know the story.” 

“How far away is Uzushio?” Sakura asked, looking up at Kakashi. “Like, if Naruto wanted to visit it, could we?”

With a nod, Kakashi visualized the map and did the math in his head. “Probably three nights?” 

Naruto made a broken sound in the back of his throat and Ayame rubbed his back. “No one is saying right now, Naruto. Just in case you want to in the future.” It seemed to placate him for the time being.

They let Naruto be with his emotions, still shaking into Ayame’s shoulder, for a while longer. Then, as if to break up the party with more drama, Sasuke’s curse mark used that moment to remind everyone it existed. Sharp pain shot through his shoulder, making the boy wince and grab at the mark. He swore, fingers digging into the fabric of his shirt. 

“That’s another thing I wanted to talk about.” Kakashi strolled over to Sasuke, pulling the boy’s hand from his shoulder. “Jiraiya thinks he knows how to remove it, now. But we will need to admit you to the hospital so Lady Tsunade can watch your vitals.” 

Naruto’s head snapped up at that, using his sleeve to wipe at the tears. “That...that’s great!”

“When?” Sasuke asked through gritted teeth

Kakashi just smiled. “They’re waiting. Whenever you’re ready.”


	15. Chapter 15

Naruto hated the way hospitals smelled. The sterile environment made the chemicals twice as potent, and his nose was already sensitive. Couple that with the smell of blood, decay, and death that any hospital has, and it made Naruto’s stomach churn. He swallowed it down, knowing that this was Sasuke’s best chance of feeling normal again. 

Sasuke’s shoulder was still shooting pain, pulsing red with his heartbeat. The marks the seal covers his body with were threatening to take over, slowly working up his neck and down across his collarbone. 

“It’s getting stronger.” Ayame said, her voice low. “This one is different than the one in Minori.” 

Tsunade met them outside of a big room, with just a bed in the middle. She frowned at the other kids joining. 

“Didn’t think we were holding a party in here.” She complained, but let them all in anyway. Surrounding the bed was an intricate set of symbols and scrolls placed in particular spots. A larger scroll was laid like a sheet on the bed, symbols written all over it, too. Jiraiya was sitting on the window sill, a large golden scroll rolled out in his hands. He nodded, but offered nothing else. Kakashi led Sasuke further in the room, telling him to remove his shirt. 

When Sasuke laid down, everyone watched as the scroll he was laying on glowed purple. Jiraiya pushed off the window sill and held the golden scroll out to Ayame. “Hold this up so I can see it.” She did as she was told, standing stock still. 

He and Kakashi each took a side of the bed. Tsunade stood behind Sasuke’s head, hooking up various wires to the Uchiha. Sasuke hid his fear well, the slight widening of his eyes the only giveaway. 

“Sasuke.” Naruto said, suddenly, before walking up next to Kakashi. “You’ll be fine, right, bastard?”

The dark haired kid snorted. “You can’t get rid of me this easy, moron.” 

They both smiled at each other before Naruto took his position next to a very scared looking Sakura. 

Watching them remove the seal was like watching some sort of dark ritual. There were hand signs and the glowing symbols made a dark rainbow around Sasuke. Ayame watched as the dreaded purple that clouded his aura flared up, nearly swallowing the red waves. The curse seal burned at his skin, the marks slowly cascading up and down his body in red flames. Sasuke writhed and screamed, a mantra of  _ it burns, gods it burns _ leaving his mouth with a broken voice. 

Jiraiya slammed one last scroll on Sasuke’s shoulder and, immediately, the red flames subsided. The boy went limp as the scroll sizzled against his skin. 

Tsunade heard the machines beeping, his heart rate dropping dangerously low. She put a healing hand on his forehead, pulsing her chakra through him. “His heart rate is dropping. Hurry this up.” She growled out as Jiraiya lifted the scroll off his shoulder. 

“It’s over.” He sighed. Kakashi, with sweat dripping down and over his mask, let his hands drop and breathed out heavily. 

The scroll that Jiraiya pulled off of Sasuke’s shoulder was placed on the floor and set on fire. Tsunade came around to do one more check on Sasuke, but she had done all she could. With a slow, but steadily rising, beep coming from the machine, everyone in the room waited with bated breath. 

When his heart rate climbed back up to a normal rhythm, everyone let out a huge sigh. 

“He will probably be out for a while.” Tsunade explained, moving to cover him up with a hospital blanket. “Why don’t you kids go home. I’ll send word if anything changes.” 

It was her way of kicking the kids out and, after a fight from Naruto, the three did go home. Sakura to her family and Naruto and Ayame to Naruto’s apartment. 

Naruto’s apartment floor was still covered with the huge blanket fort from the Team 7 sleepover. Too emotionally exhausted for any cleaning up, the two just left it there and curled inside. 

It was quiet as they sat down, legs tangled together. 

“Naruto, you want to talk about what sensei said, today?” 

Naruto nodded, but didn’t start the conversation. He just sat there, staring at the floor. 

“Remember when we talked about why the Fourth would seal the Kyuubi in you and I jokingly said maybe he was your dad? Yeah, I honestly was making a joke, I didn’t know.” 

Naruto gave a slight smirk. “Yeah, I know.” He sighed, running his hand through his hair. “It’s just...did he not care? Was that the  _ only _ option that night?”

“I can’t believe a parent would willingly do that to their child unless there was no other option.” Ayame reached out and grabbed his hand before it could fist in his hair again. “Naruto, what you did earlier, with your hair pulling...have you ever done that before? Felt that way before?”

Begrudgingly, he nodded. “When I was little and the villagers would get the better of me. But it hasn’t happened in a while.”

“I think you had a panic attack, Naruto.” Ayame remembered a merchant who came through their village, scared out of his mind from a recent bandit attack. The man collapsed on the ground, right in the middle of the market, and screamed, grabbing his head. The man who sold dango looked stunningly like one of the bandits who had attacked him. The doctor there called it PTSD and said he’d had a panic attack. From that day on, everyone got a pamphlet on how to see the different signs of one. Naruto had some of the signs written in the pamphlet from years ago. 

“Is that what that’s called?”

“I think so.” Ayame didn’t want to hurt the blonde anymore, but he did deserve to have some knowledge on what had happened to him. “I’m no doctor, Lady Tsunade may be able to tell you more, but that’s what it looked like.” 

“No, Baa-chan doesn’t need to know.” He waved off her concern. “I do, however, want to learn more about Uzushiogakure.” 

Ayame nodded. “Me, too.” 

Inside the pillow and blanket fort, the two of them rolled out scrolls and opened books until their eyes were sore, learning everything they could about Uzushio and the Uzumaki clan. There were other clans there, too. And the knowledge that Uzumakis were friends of Konoha made them both add to their list of questions. 

“Why would Konoha not help, then?” Naruto asked, finger hovering over the chapter he just read. “Uzushio and Konoha were friends, they had a peace treaty. How could they not help us?”

Ayame shrugged, knowing the only answer she had wouldn’t be one he’d like. “There was a war. Maybe Konoha had no one to send.” Naruto’s eyes drew down. “I didn’t say it was a  _ good _ explanation, but it’s an idea.” 

With eyebrows practically knitted together, Naruto focused on the book again. He wasn’t sure why, but he was angry. Angry with the village, at the people who were here way back then, at  _ everything _ . He wanted answers, someone to explain the what, why and how. The only one he could think of was the Third Hokage, but he was gone, now. There had to be someone here, alive and able to talk, who would know the whole story. Then, a realization hit him: Jiraiya and Tsunade probably knew all about who his parents were and what happened to them.

His head snapped up, gripping the book so tight he was beginning to tear the pages. “They knew.” His voice was so low, so angry it was practically a growl. “Ero-sennin and Baa-chan. They knew all about it, didn’t they? Why won’t anyone tell me anything?” Naruto looked up at Ayame, who was biting her lip, her eyes shining in the dim light of the moon. “Didn’t you tell me Ero-sennin used to brag about training a Hokage? Does that mean he trained my dad?”

Ayame, still biting her lip, nodded. Naruto’s eyes flashed red. 

Sitting up on her knees, Ayame reached out for him. “Naruto, calm down.” The red that flashed in his eyes returned, this time not fading away. She watched as Naruto’s canine teeth grew longer as he bared them. “Naruto, please.” She received nothing but a guttural growl. He dug his nails, which were elongating, into the book, neatly cutting through the pages. “Naruto!” She snapped, grabbing his face in her hands. His eyes widened, the blue flashing through for a brief second. 

Naruto could see the people who knew in front of him. Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi, the Third, Iruka...how many other people knew? How many of his comrades knew? He couldn’t call them friends anymore, could he? It was whirling through his head, listening to their voices laughing and sneering at him. He could see the dark dungeon, the floor wet and slippery. Red eyes peered at him through cage bars, chortling at his discomfort. 

_ “They hate you. That’s why they never told you, kid.”  _ The beast, the  _ Kyuubi _ , sing-songed at him.  _ “They wanted you to stay weak. But you don’t have to be weak, come here and let me out.” _

Red chakra wrapped around him, slowly lifting him toward a seal on the bars...

Then pain struck him, hard enough to whip his physical head to the side. Ayame had slapped him. 

“Come back to me, Naruto!” 

When he turned to face her, his eyes were crystal blue, shimmering wet. “Ayame?”

“Gods, Naruto, what happened? Where were you?”

He absently rubbed at his cheek, the skin stinging with the force of her slap. “In...in a dungeon, I think. Kyuubi was there. I could see him. He was talking to me.” 

Ayame’s eyes were wide. “He’s in your subconscious? What kind of seal did they use on you?” She gathered up the scrolls and books, careful to pull the one Naruto was holding tightly to keep from ripping it further. She sat them all outside the fort and then turned back to the boy in front of her. The scared and confused boy. “Naruto, I’m not going to say I understand, because I know I don’t. I can never understand what this could feel like, going from being alone one minute to having a fucking  _ clan _ and  _ home _ the next. What I can do is just be here, let you vent and try to help figure out a way to cope with it.” 

“I want answers.” He mumbled, to which Ayame nodded. 

“So do I.” 

Ayame pulled Naruto until they were laying side by side, warm and cozy in their fort. She waited until Naruto found the words to say what he wanted to say and just let him talk. He talked about what having a family would mean to him. What having a whole  _ clan _ meant to him. He wondered about his parents, what they were like and what his mother looked like. He wondered how much of what made him came from each side. He wondered why he got his mother’s name and not his father’s. Questions burned in his skull. Questions he wanted to ask Jiraiya and Tsunade. He wanted to talk to his friends (and, yes, after everything they’d been through, he did have  _ friends _ ) and see what their parents had told them. 

The sun was nearly rising by the time Naruto had quieted down, finally drifting off in a fitful sleep, his head on Ayame’s stomach. She was playing with his hair as he talked, lulling him into a sense of security and ease. Wanting to make him feel better, she tried to find something to say, something that would make it all okay, but she had nothing. This wasn’t something that could be fixed in one night by one person, this was a short lifetime of pain and neglect. Ayame promised, in that early sunrise, to be the one person Naruto could always rely on. The one person in his life who would not let him down.

In this mission, she  _ would not fail. _

\--

“What does being in love feel like?”

Ayame turned her head, looking comically at Moegi. The young girl just stared off into space, watching as Naruto and Konohamaru sparred in the small training field. 

In an effort to keep Naruto from being stuck in his thoughts, Ayame thought of something to keep his attention. Training with Konohamaru, who just happened to be the first person she saw upon leaving their apartment, was the best idea she had. 

And, so far, it was working. With Naruto’s nerves, maybe not Ayame’s. 

“Um...I don’t know, Moegi. I’ve never been in love.” 

Moegi just snorted. “Then what do you call you and Naruto?”

And  _ that _ was a bomb dropping in the pit of Ayame’s stomach. “He’s my best friend.” It sounded hollow, even to her.

“Uh-huh.” Moegi smirked. “So, let me rephrase the question. What does it feel like to  _ best friend _ someone?”

Ayame was saved from answering by Konohamaru running, full speed, toward her. 

“Ayame! Naruto-nii-chan is being mean!” 

The redhead smiled at him. “What’s he doing to you, now?”

“He won’t show me how to do that big fancy jutsu he can do.” Konohamaru hugged Ayame around the waist, pretend-crying into her shirt. 

Ayame patted his head and sent a fake glare in Naruto's direction. “How dare you, Naruto. He’s eight, surely he can master a jutsu that took you, what, a week to master?” Naruto rolled his eyes as he came jogging up to them. “I think, at least, we should get him a water balloon. It’s the first step, after all.” Then, with a look down at Konohamaru, she added, “He can’t show you the second step until you master the first. And, yes, all three steps are equally important.” 

Konohamaru looked up to her, his smile never wavering as he spoke with the same bravado Naruto uses, even if the voice that accompanies it was a little nasally. “I can do it! I’ll be the greatest ninja ever!”

Two hours and a bag of water balloons later, Naruto finally played the kids out enough for them to go stomping home. None of them broke the water balloons, not counting Konohamaru who threw his on the ground in defeat multiple times, and they may have been slightly frustrated. 

As the two genin walked through the streets, in no particular hurry to go anywhere, Naruto breached a question he’s had all day. “Why does Konohamaru cling to you like that?”

Ayame chuckled. “I think we bonded over our grandfathers dying. We just...understood each other? Does that make sense? Kind of like how you and Gaara understand each other from both being jinchuriki?”

“Oh.” Naruto nodded. “I get it, I think.” 

The feeling of Jiraiya’s aura entered her radar. He was close and getting closer. She just hoped she could get Naruto moving quicker so the sannin didn’t find them. 

“Oi! Naruto!” And there went Ayame’s luck. 

Naruto stiffened, his back ramrod straight. His blue eyes darkened as he turned around, hands fisted at his sides. “What do you want, Ero-sennin?” Even his voice was a warning. 

Jiraiya, who still had a shred of self-preservation, stopped in his tracks, his expression questioning. “What’s going on?”

Ayame grabbed Naruto’s jacket and held tight. It wouldn’t do for Naruto to get into a fight with one of the legendary sannin in the middle of Konoha. 

“We need to talk.” And never has a sentence sounded more like the promise of harm. “Now.” 

“Kid,” Jiraiya began, “I’m not sure what’s going on, but I just came here to tell you --”

“No.” Naruto’s voice was firm, a little too controlled. “I want to know why. Tell me why you didn’t tell me who my father was. Or what the red chakra is. You taught my dad, yet you wouldn’t tell me anything about him?”

There was a look of complete shock on Jiraiya’s face, his eyes were wide and mouth parted. “H-How?”

“Kaka-sensei told me about mom and dad, about the day I was born. I already knew I was a jinchuriki, but it still would have been nice to know you knew.” 

It took a second for Jiraiya’s brain to play catch-up, but when it did, his mouth snapped shut. “Kid, look, we were sworn to secrecy. Sarutobi-sensei --”

“Is dead.” Naruto finished for him. “Any promise you made died with him.” 

Jiraiya blanched, not sure what to say. Had he messed up by not being honest with the kid? Definitely. But it  _ had _ to be this way. “Naruto.” Jiraiya took a deep breath before continuing. “You’re right. I should have told you, especially after Sarutobi-sensei died.”

Ayame didn’t want to object, to toss herself into a conversation that had nothing to do with her. So, she simply held on to the sleeve of Naruto’s jacket and hoped her presence was comforting enough. 

Naruto’s hands were fisted at his sides, his muscles taut trying to keep himself in control. “Yet you didn’t.” 

“I promise I’ll tell you everything, kid.  _ Everything. _ But, what I came here to tell you is Sasuke woke up.” 

“That’s great!” Ayame smiled. “Right?” She tugged on Naruto’s sleeve to get his attention. 

“Yeah.” He agreed, but continued to glare at the older man. “I want to know  _ everything _ , and I do mean everything.”

With a pointed glare, Naruto turned his back on Jiraiya and began walking away. 

_ “I’m sorry, Minato, Kushina. I failed to protect your son.” _ Jiraiya thought as he walked, slowly, behind them. 


	16. Chapter 16

The first thing Sasuke realized when he woke up was how quiet his mind was. Gone were the constant buzzing thoughts of his clan, of his brother, of the pain and hatred. All of that was replaced with beautiful, refreshing silence. He could think now, he could breathe without feeling like his chest was caving in. His shoulder ached where the mark was, his hand instinctively going to cover it. He hissed in pain when his hand came in contact with the spot it used to be. The skin there was like a raw nerve. 

A machine at his left beeped faster the more pain he had caused himself. Then he felt a cool hand cover his. 

“Sasuke, quit touching it.” Lady Tsunade scolded him, pulling the kid’s pale hand away. “You’re causing yourself the pain at this point.”

“Why does it still hurt?” He gritted out. 

Tsunade huffed out a laugh. “Because a curse seal was literally ripped out of your skin. It’s going to be tender for a while.” She held a hand over his head, glowing a soft green against his skin. “Other than that, it seems like you’re doing okay. How do you feel?”

“Everything is quiet.” He mumbled. “Like a tv just shut off in my head.” 

Tsunade nodded. “So, Ayame saying the seal causes thoughts was correct, then?”

Sasuke just nodded. 

“If you’re up for company, I’ll have Jiraiya let them know you’re awake. If not, and it’s no rush, I can just leave you to heal for a moment.”

“No.” Sasuke looked sheepishly through his bangs. “I’d like for them to be here.” 

He barely waiting twenty minutes before his three teammates slid around the corner. 

“Fuck, Sasuke!” Ayame gasped, reaching his bed first. “You’re awake!’

“I told you, bastard, you better be okay!” Naruto sat on the bed by his feet, smiling. 

Sakura tried hard to hold in her tears, but they trickled down her face anyway. 

“How do you feel?” Ayame looked at the raw red patch of skin on his shoulder. “That looks painful.”

“It is.” He pushed his dark hair back behind his ear so it would stop tickling over his shoulder. “My brain is quiet.” 

The redhead’s eyes snapped to his. “So, I was right about the voices, then?”

It was like she was just waiting to say ‘I told you so,’ and Sasuke wasn’t offering her the chance. He kept quiet, but it was nearly good enough for her. 

“So, now you heal.” Sakura pulled a chair to the opposite side of the bed from the other two. “And then we resume training like badasses.”

Naruto laughed. “Exactly.” 

\--

It was Sasuke’s first day back at training and Sakura was late. Even Kakashi arrived before her. When she did finally show, she was smiling ear to ear. “I did it!”

“Did what?” Ayame asked, pausing her sparring with Naruto when she saw the pink hair bouncing her direction. 

“Lady Tsunade agreed to train me!”

The two girls squealed, running to each other and jumping up and down.

Sakura had talked about her idea to ask Tsunade when they would visit Sasuke in the hospital, and everyone had encouraged her. And now it had all paid off. 

“She said it would take me two years, and then I’ll be a full-fledged medic nin!” 

“Two years?” Naruto asked, looking down at his feet. “So...you’ll be away from us for two years?”

Sakura nodded, suddenly looking sad. “But I won’t be leaving the village, so we can still get together. Have lunch or something.”

Kakashi put his hand on Sakura’s shoulder, his smile reaching his eyes. “That is quite the accomplishment, Sakura. But something tells me you won’t be the only member of Team 7 leaving us for a while.” He motioned toward an oncoming Jiraiya in the distance. 

“Oi! Naruto!” Jiraiya waved at him. “Can we talk for a minute, kid?”

With a quick glance to his team, he jogged over to meet the old man halfway. “What do you want, Ero-sennin?”

“I, um…” Jiraiya, uncharacteristically, was at a loss for words. “Look, kid, I owe you an explanation. Several of them, actually. So, let me make it up to you? I’ll tell you everything you have ever wanted to know about your parents and the Kyuubi. I’ll also train you, show you the ways of a sannin.”

Naruto looked skeptical. “What’s the catch?”

“You leave the village with me. Travel the world and hunt down information on a rising threat. When you come back, you’ll be a strong shinobi, I promise.” When no answer happened right away, Jiraiya sighed and leaned down to the kid’s level. “I can’t take Ayame, too.”

“No.” Naruto shook his head. “It’s not that. I just...I want to...when do we leave?”

Jiraiya smiled. “Next week.”

\--

“What did Jiraiya want?” Ayame asked as soon as they entered his apartment that evening. “It looked serious.”

“He, um, wants me to train with him.” Naruto pulled off his kunai pouch and sat it on the small table. 

Ayame smiled. “A fucking sannin wants to train you?” She sounded so happy. “That’s amazing!”

“Yeah.” Naruto, however, didn’t sound that happy. 

“What’s wrong?” Ayame leaned into his space, forcing him to look her in the eye. 

He stepped back, afraid his next words would hurt her. “I’ll have to go outside the village for the training. Like into the Elemental Nations kind of out.” 

“Oh.” 

Naruto was afraid to see her face. He wanted to go, of course he did. The farthest he’d ever gone was to Wave. He wanted to go further. He wanted to see the world. He wanted to  _ learn _ . At the same time he didn’t want to hurt his best friend. 

“Go.”

He looked at her in surprise. 

“Don’t second guess it, Naruto. Go. This is an amazing opportunity. You’d be stupid not to go.” 

“But --”

“No,” Ayame cupped his face in her hands. “Don’t talk yourself out of it. I can tell you want to go. So, go.”

“You can’t go.” 

She laughed. “Is that what’s the problem? That I can’t go? Don’t worry about me. Sasuke and I will find someone who will train us, too. Maybe I’ll try out some medical jutsu, and Sasuke can find someone to sword train with. Who knows? We will figure it out while you and Sakura are off being all sannin trained badasses.” 

“I’ll miss you.” Naruto whispered. 

Ayame hugged him tightly. “I’ll miss you, too.”

\--

The four of them were standing at the village gates, Naruto packed and ready to go. 

“I’m going to miss you guys.” He should have been happier than he was, going out into the world to train, but instead he missed his friends already and he hadn’t even left yet. 

Sasuke gave him a small smile. “We will miss your big mouth, too.” 

“Come back strong, Naruto!” Sakura leaped forward and hugged him. “We will be strong, too, when you come back.” 

As Sasuke and Sakura stepped away, giving Ayame time to say their goodbyes, the redhead barreled into Naruto, gripping him in a tight hug. 

“Write to me all the time. And remember not to let Jiraiya anywhere near your money. Don’t let him talk you into anything bad. And be careful, please.” When she pulled back, her eyes were red rimmed and tears were flowing down her face. “I’m going to miss you so much.” 

“Don’t forget to water my plants.” Naruto said, making Ayame laugh for the last time was high on his priority list. He got his wish, she laughed. 

“Of course I will.” 

“C’mon, kid.” Jiraiya motioned toward the gates. “Gotta get moving.” 

Naruto nodded, slowly pulling away from Ayame, his friends, and the only home he’s ever known. There was something on the tip of his tongue, something he wanted to say, but he wasn’t sure what it was. Instead, he waved at them and jogged up to Jiraiya. 

“Alright, old man, I’m ready.” 

“Sure?” Jiraiya asked, glancing in Ayame’s direction. “Nothing else you want to do before you go?”

Confused, Naruto just shook his head. 

“Okay, kid, if you’re sure.” 

\--

Two days later Ayame received a letter via messenger hawk. All it said on the small scrap of paper was:  _ I miss you. Be careful. _

_Shippuuden Arc TBC..._

**Author's Note:**

> I love everyone who takes their time to read this story. I Love You.


End file.
